The persistent heat this summer is taking a heavy toll on Germany's grain harvest. "According to calculations by the German Raiffeisen Association (DRV), around three million tonnes of grain and rapeseed have been lost due to the heat since mid-June," the cooperative association stated on Thursday. "The resulting loss of income amounts to more than 600 million euros."
The association is forecasting a grain harvest of 40.6 million tonnes this year. That would be more than ten percent below last year's figure and more than five percent below the five-year average. For rapeseed, 3.7 million tonnes are expected, compared with 4.0 million the previous year.
"2026 will go down in the history books as a year of heat. Only the favourable weather in spring prevented greater damage," said DRV grain market expert Guido Seedler. "On balance, it is a still-sufficient harvest, albeit a below-average one."
The expert does not consider supply to be at risk. "Annual grain consumption in Germany is around 40 million tonnes and is therefore covered, in arithmetical terms, by this year's harvest," he explained. Nor are rising consumer prices expected for bread, rolls and other baked goods, because the cost of grain accounts for only a very small share of the final price of bakery products. "Other factors are primarily decisive for food prices. Above all, higher energy, wage and bureaucracy costs are driving consumer prices up."
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