b'Severe European Drought Leaves No Crop UntouchedBREEDERS, FARMERS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS FEEL THE PRESSURE AFTER EXTREME HEAT AND DROUGHT HIT EUROPE.BY: ALLY RODENT his summer of 2022 has been one of the warmest andHungary, Romania, Slovenia and Croatia. The extreme heat most trying for farmers and companies across Europe,and water stress period overlapped with the flowering stage and as the worst drought in nearly 500 years remains severegrain filling in these countries, resulting in irreversible yield loss in many countries. potential, shared the JRC Crop Monitoring in Europe August In the most recent European Commissions Joint Research2022 report.Centre (JRC) report, Drought in EuropeAugust 2022,We are currently observing very low yields in rainfed crops, experts state that 47 per cent of the EU remains under warningwith cereal production falling by more than 30 per cent. Also in conditions and 17 per cent is in alert.oilseeds, the surface area increased in Spain by more than 30per The combination of a severe drought and heatwaves hascent, but total production will fall by more than 20 per cent, created an unprecedented stress on water levels in the entiresays Pedro Gallardo, Spanish farmer and former vice president EU. We are currently noticing a wildfires season sensibly aboveof COPA-COGECA, in an interview with European Seed. As the average and an important impact on crops production, saidfar as irrigated crops are concerned, it should be noted that Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research,the production costs of electricity and water have had a very Culture, Education and Youth in a release. negative impact, together with a reduction in the availability of water which farmers have suffered.EFFECTS ON YIELD Therefore, we can say that the perfect storm is taking The August report forecast for grain maize, soybean and sun- place, production cut by between 30 and 50 per cent, production flower yields each fell below the five-year average at 16%, 15%costs in many of the inputs have multiplied by between 100 and and 12% respectively. 300 per cent, and to all this is added a drought that will mean a Farmers across the EU have felt the devastating impacts,cut in income for farmers.with Spain ringing in as one of the most greatly affected, alongWhile certain crops have been hit more heavily, such as with France, central and northern Italy, central Germany,cereal and sunflower, no crop was left unharmed by the intense 28IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'