Climate change consequences: Bavarian farmers harvest less grain

Bavarian farmers are harvesting less grain this year. The Bavarian State Statistical Office expects the total harvest to be 5.7 million tons this year, around ten percent below the long-term average. However, the area planted has also fallen by 7.4 percent.

Humidity and damp heat: more fungal and pest infestation

Although the weather has been very dry in previous years, this year it is too wet for grain: “The harvest has to be stopped repeatedly due to heavy rains. In some cases, the fields are not passable due to the moisture,” says the state office. Due to the warm, humid weather, there are more fungal and pest infections than in previous years.

Forecast: Winter barley crop about 15 percent lower than in 2023

Bavarian farmers grow winter wheat in half of their grain fields. The average yield here this year is likely to be 7.16 tonnes, about one percent less than last year.

The winter barley crop is estimated at 6.07 tonnes per hectare, 14 percent lower than the previous year. As for spring barley, on the other hand, the average yield per hectare of 5.47 tonnes is 31 percent higher than last year.

Ozdemir: The consequences of climate change are evident in the harvest

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) also blames climate change and its consequences for crop losses. “The changing weather conditions not only affect crop yields but also put entire crops at risk depending on the region,” the Federal Ministry of Agriculture explained. In his harvest report (External link).

Sowing has become more difficult in the regions due to heavy rainfall. The area under grain cultivation fell by 5.7 percent to 5.27 million hectares. Overall, “wet autumn in 2023, a record warm spring in 2024 with late frosts, floods in many places and a wet summer with many violent storms have reduced harvest results,” the ministry said.

Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) explained that the data showed that “the climate crisis has long reached the entire agriculture”. “The climate crisis increases the frequency and duration of extreme weather events, making production more difficult and increasingly endangering crops.” It follows from this: “Protecting the climate also means protecting our crops.”

With information from the German Press Agency and Agence France-Presse