VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – The autumn harvest in Austria has experienced significant setbacks, with key crops facing substantial reductions after an exceptionally dry year and record-breaking summer temperatures. According to the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, current projections indicate especially severe declines in potatoes, maize, soybeans, sugar beet, and sunflowers. Potato yields are projected to be 50% to 70% below the five-year average. Chamber president Josef Moosbrugger stated that the crop losses this autumn have surpassed earlier forecasts.
Austria’s harvest has been hampered by an extraordinarily dry year across much of the nation. GeoSphere Austria reported that the 12 months ending in July were the driest since the beginning of national records in 1850. Between January and August 12, 72% of Austrian territory experienced an unusually high number of dry days. The eastern regions faced some of the most significant rainfall shortages, while repeated heatwaves increased water stress across agricultural land.
Current estimates place maize production at approximately 1.5 million tonnes or less, a sharp decrease from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. The regional maize yield losses are estimated to range from about 35% to 50%, according to the latest figures from the chamber. Soybean output is now estimated near 125,000 tonnes, compared to nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. Heat during the flowering phase hindered pod development and grain formation in many soybean fields.
Drought Severely Affects Key Autumn Crops
Production of sugar beet is estimated at around 940,500 tonnes, down from 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture estimates yield losses between 30% in better-situated areas and up to 70% in the driest eastern regions. Sunflower production is estimated to have fallen by 35% to 50% from last year. Earlier projections also suggested that oil pumpkin output was approximately 20% below the five-year average, highlighting the drought’s extensive impact on several major autumn crops.
Field conditions showed stark regional and soil-dependent variations. Lighter, sandy, and gravelly soils exhausted available water earlier than heavier soils, leaving some crops unable to fully develop. Some maize plants failed to produce ears, while extreme heat disrupted pollination in others. Farmers also converted some maize fields intended for grain or cob harvest into silage for cattle after drought conditions limited their harvest potential.
Historical Weather Data Emphasize Severity of 2026 Drought
Agrarmarkt Austria has documented lower yields in crops harvested earlier in the season. Its September survey reports that conventional soft wheat yields averaged 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. Lower Austria, the primary production zone, saw an 18% decrease in soft wheat yields. Conventional spring barley averaged 38.1 decitons per hectare, compared with 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also declining.
These crop losses follow Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of temperature records. GeoSphere Austria recorded a national temperature peak of 41.2 degrees Celsius during that month. Large parts of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria experienced rainfall deficits of 50% to 70% in August. As the autumn harvest continues, the latest crop figures from the chamber remain estimates rather than definitive national totals.