SPITAL AM PYHRN, Austria — Austria's agricultural sector is grappling with the consequences of a scorching European summer. National body AgrarMarkt Austria projects this year's grain harvest will shrink by 19 percent, following weeks of sustained high temperatures and minimal precipitation across the country.
Dairy cattle typically spend summers on Alpine pastures as high as 1,300 meters (4,300 feet) above sea level. But the lack of water and grass on parched slopes is forcing farmers to bring their herds back to barns much earlier than usual.
Johann Fessl, a dairy farmer in northern Austria who leads an association of pasture-based cattle farmers in Upper Austria, said his region experienced "no precipitation for weeks" and had never seen such high temperatures sustained for so long.
The early return forces farmers to feed cattle hay reserved for winter, driving up operational costs — particularly for those who must buy additional feed. Fessl said some pastures are already empty of cattle.
Farmers are discussing "emergency slaughters" due to financial strain and feed scarcity, Fessl said, contributing to a growing waiting list at processing facilities. The situation varies across individual hills and mountains.
Corn, which demands substantial water, is suffering badly. Farmer Roland Radner found his yield so poor he cut down most of his crop early. The few stalks still standing are desiccated and yellow.
In greenhouses on the outskirts of Linz, Barbara Stemberger and Fritz Hummer, who cultivate 30 varieties of tomatoes, report extensive damage. Much of their harvest has either stopped developing or shows visible disfigurement.
Hummer said extreme heat in recent weeks caused blossom-end rot in many tomatoes — a condition that appears as a dry, grey-brown patch on the fruit. The affected tomatoes remain edible if the damaged parts are removed, but cannot be sold commercially.
Stemberger said carrots are thriving this year, seemingly benefiting from the same heat that has devastated other crops.
