Germany's grain harvest is expected to fall by seven percent this year as a result of severe drought and heatwaves, the German Farmers' Association (DBV) warned Tuesday.
"An overly dry spring and a heatwave in the second half of June were defining factors" leading to what the group described as a "below-average grain harvest" forecast at 41.9 million tonnes.
Germany, along with much of Europe, has seen record-breaking temperatures this summer along with limited rainfall in much of the country.
Joachim Rukwied, the DBV president, said southern and western Germany in particular had suffered from a lack of rain amid the heat, with farmers there reporting "low yields, or even total crop failure in some cases".
Compounding problems for German farmers, according to the DBV, are notably higher costs from the global shortages of oil and other raw materials from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Middle East war.
The resulting scarcity has pushed up prices of diesel fuel, fertilisers and pesticides.
"Overall, the poor harvest comes at a time of economic precariousness," the group said Tuesday.
"Significantly lower yields -- combined with low producer prices on the one hand and high costs for inputs such as diesel, crop protection products, and fertilisers on the other -- are placing an enormous strain on the liquidity of many farms."
Rukwied asked the German government to launch an emergency aid programme for farmers including early payouts of farm subsidies, more state aid for fertiliser purchases and cuts to diesel fuel taxes.
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