Extreme European heat slashes farm output and threatens Asian food exports
Record temperatures across Europe have reduced livestock productivity and crop sizes, prompting worries about the continent's food shipments to Asian markets.
A scorching summer with temperatures approaching 40 °C has battered European agriculture, from cattle farms in southern Belgium to fruit orchards across the continent. Farmers report up to a 40 % income loss, higher animal mortality, fertility problems, weight loss and a 5 % reduction in milk production. Harvests of apples, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables are smaller, threatening the quality of Belgium’s famous processed-potato exports to East and Southeast Asia.
France expects its corn harvest to drop to 9 million tonnes, the lowest since 1980, while drought also affects German corn fields and Italian rice paddies. The French government announced more than €1 billion in support for affected producers, yet the European Potato Trade Association cautions that the heat could impact this year’s market. Despite these setbacks, the European dairy sector remains confident about meeting global demand, though researchers are launching an eight-year study to track how warming may cause yield variability in the future.
Why it matters
Europe's reduced farm output could disrupt food supplies and prices for Asian consumers.
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