Scorching summer forces Austrian farms to cut crops and send cattle to early slaughter

The intense summer heat sweeping Europe has impaired agricultural output even in Austria's traditionally water-rich regions. Dairy farmer Johann Fessl described a lack of precipitation for weeks and record-high temperatures that have left Alpine pastures at 1,300 metres barren, forcing cows back to barns early and increasing reliance on outdated hay, which raises feeding expenses. Some producers are now planning emergency slaughters as the waiting list for processing lengthens.

AgrarMarkt Austria forecasts a grain harvest that is 19% smaller than usual, with corn fields showing severe drought stress. In the Leonding greenhouses near Linz, growers Barbara Stemberger and Fritz Hummer report that many tomatoes have developed blossom-end rot, rendering them unsellable, while carrots have benefited from the heat.