Updated · ESM – European Supermarket Magazine · Aug 19
German Organic Farms Post Mixed 2026 Harvest as Heat Hits Spring Crops
Updated
Updated · ESM – European Supermarket Magazine · Aug 19
German Organic Farms Post Mixed 2026 Harvest as Heat Hits Spring Crops
3 articles · Updated · ESM – European Supermarket Magazine · Aug 19
Summary
German organic farms reported average 2026 yields for winter wheat, rye and barley, but spring-sown crops fell below 2025 levels after record heat and erratic weather.
BÖLW and AMI said drought and heat shrivelled grains in spring crops and oats, while hail and thunderstorms caused localized damage in Bavaria and eastern Germany despite better-than-expected organic wheat baking quality.
2025 surplus stocks are expected to cushion the shortfall, even as analysts flag losses for oats, grain maize, legumes and late-sown soybeans.
Potatoes, vegetables and apples also suffered: heat cut tuber size and volumes, growers faced one of the hottest summers on record, and the organic apple harvest is now seen well below initial forecasts.
BÖLW said vegetable supply is tightening against strong demand, while apples remain oversupplied from last season's stocks; the group highlighted €1.6 billion in annual direct-marketing revenue as it urged support for regional organic producers.