Enormous damage

The drought is hitting agriculture hard

The Kukuruz can no longer grow due to the drought and must now be harvested prematurely.

(Bild: Judt Reinhard)

Dried out fields everywhere you look in Burgenland: The loss of autumn crops will be at least 50 percent. 

Another week of constant maximum temperatures of more than 30 degrees is in store for us. Forecast rainfall? Zero. This year, 25 tropical nights with a low of over 20 degrees have already been measured in Eisenstadt. The previous record was 19 for the whole of 2015. "The impending heatwave is unusual for the time of year, as both hot days and tropical nights from the end of August onwards are very rare in climatological terms," says Nikolas Zimmermann, meteorologist at the Ubimet weather service.

At the beginning of August, the sunflower world was still - halfway - in order.

(Bild: Judt Reinhard)

Huge impact on quantity, quality and price 
Of course, the lack of rainfall has had a huge impact on agriculture - as anyone driving past parched fields of kukuruz, soya and sunflowers can see for themselves. "Even if it were to rain now, it wouldn't help," says Wolf Reheis, Head of the Crop Production Department at the Burgenland Chamber of Agriculture. Alfred Brasch, LK district officer for Neusiedl am See, adds: "This year, due to the drought, the maize plants are not ripe. Because there is no growth and to save what can be saved, the farmers are already threshing - weeks earlier than usual."

Up to 70 percent crop loss
As far as the crop loss is concerned, the experts are keeping a low profile. There is talk of at least 50 percent, with up to 70 percent expected in some regions. For international comparison, as far as maize is concerned: in Romania, the yield loss will be 90 percent. And according to a Hungarian agricultural economist, the damage there will amount to 600 million euros. It is to be feared that the price of maize for consumers will skyrocket.

100 million euros in damage
Günther Kurz from the hail insurance company knows just how dramatic the situation is in the fields. "Northern Burgenland is particularly affected. We currently expect total drought damage in Austria to amount to 100 million euros."