Long-lasting dry and hot weather slashes summer crop yields

Persistent heat and exceptional water deficits have substantially worsened summer crop prospects across western and most of central Europe, reducing fertility and biomass accumulation, impairing grain filling and accelerating senescence. Impacts range from moderate yield reductions to severe losses, with crop failure likely in the worst-affected regions. Grassland productivity and pasture availability have also declined markedly, raising concerns about fodder supply. Although summer crop conditions remain more favourable in parts of northern and eastern Europe, EU yield forecasts for all summer crops have been sharply reduced, falling below the five-year average by up to 14 %. With harvesting largely completed, yield prospects for most winter cereals have been confirmed around the five-year average at the EU level. Cooler and wetter conditions forecast across much of western and central Europe may provide some relief, although too late to compensate for the losses already sustained.

BEN AOUN Wassim;  BIAVETTI Irene;  BUSSAY Attila;  CERRANI Iacopo;  CLAVERIE Martin;  DE PALMA Pierluca;  FUMAGALLI Davide;  HENIN Riccardo;  LUQUE REYES Jose;  MOREL Julien;  NIEMEYER Stefan;  NISINI Luigi;  PANARELLO Lorenzo;  ROSSI Mattia;  SEGUINI Lorenzo;  TARNAVSKY Elena;  THIEMIG Vera;  TODOROFF Pierre;  ZUCCHINI Antonio; 

THIEMIG Vera;  BEN AOUN Wassim;  NIEMEYER Stefan; 

2026-08-24

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC146187

2443-8278 (online),   

OP KJ-01-26-010-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC146187,   

10.2760/8251836 (online),