In the summer of 2026, drought spread across approximately 38% of the European Union's territory. According to Euractiv, citing official data, this has forced livestock farmers to start using their winter feed supplies earlier than planned.
The lack of moisture affects 14.8% of the EU's agricultural land and 14.5% of forest areas. Abnormal heat and wildfires have dried out pastures and damaged forage crops, leading to a severe shortage of animal feed.
The drought has seriously impacted the production of olive oil, wine, corn, and sunflower. In France, one of the largest corn producers in the EU, the expected yield of this crop is projected to be the lowest since 1980.
All summer, Europe has suffered from extreme heat and wildfires. In July, thousands of residents in France and Spain were forced to evacuate their homes due to fires. French experts had predicted the lowest corn yield in the last 50 years. In Romania, authorities have imposed restrictions on water use for irrigation purposes for farmers.
Due to the critical drop in the water level of the Danube River, Hungary and Romania have reduced electricity production at nuclear power plants. Farmers in the countries located in the river basin are threatened with crop failure.
