VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – Austria’s autumn harvest is experiencing significant declines across key crops due to an unprecedented combination of drought conditions and extreme summer temperatures. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture reported that early estimates indicate especially severe reductions in potatoes, maize, soybeans, sugar beet, and sunflowers. Potato yields are projected to fall by 50% to 70% compared to the five-year average. Chamber president Josef Moosbrugger noted that the autumn crop losses have surpassed earlier projections.
After a particularly dry year across much of Austria, the country began its harvest. According to GeoSphere Austria, the 12 months ending in July were the driest since records began in 1850. From January through August 12, 72% of Austrian territory experienced an unusually high number of dry days. The eastern regions faced some of the most substantial rainfall deficits, while recurrent heatwaves intensified water stress in farmland areas.
Current estimates suggest maize production has decreased to about 1.5 million tonnes or less, down from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. Regional maize yields are expected to decline between 35% and 50%, according to the latest data from the chamber. Soybean output is now approximated at 125,000 tonnes, a sharp drop from nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. Elevated temperatures during flowering hindered pod development and limited grain formation in numerous soybean fields.
Severe drought significantly impacts major autumn crops
Sugar beet production is now estimated at around 940,500 tonnes, compared to 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture reports yield reductions between 30% in more favorable locations and 70% in the driest eastern regions. Sunflower harvest losses are estimated between 35% and 50% from the previous year. Earlier assessments also indicated that oil pumpkin output was approximately 20% below the five-year average, reflecting the widespread effects of the drought across several key autumn crops.
Field conditions differed markedly depending on soil type and geographic area. Lighter, sandy, and gravelly soils lost plant-available water earlier than heavier soils, preventing some crops from reaching full development. In some fields, maize failed to form ears, while extreme heat disrupted pollination processes in others. Farmers also converted some maize fields, initially intended for grain or cob harvest, into silage for cattle after drought conditions reduced their harvest potential.
Climate records emphasize the severity of Austria’s 2026 drought
Austria’s Agrarmarkt has documented reduced yields in crops harvested earlier in the season. Its September survey showed soft wheat yields averaging 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. The main production region, Lower Austria, experienced an 18% decline in soft wheat yields. Spring barley yields averaged 38.1 decitons per hectare compared with 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also decreasing.
These crop losses follow Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of temperature records, with GeoSphere Austria recording a national temperature peak of 41.2 degrees Celsius during that month. Significant portions of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria faced rainfall deficits of 50% to 70% in August. The autumn harvest is ongoing, and the latest crop figures from the chamber are still estimates rather than definitive national totals.