The drought situation is so severe that German farmers are referring to it as a natural disaster that poses a threat to their livelihoods. The farmers have made calls for around €1bn in special aid because of the drought but the government has replied stating that it would wait until the August harvest report before making a decision on how it will help farmers.

As of Tuesday 31 July, German farmers upped their fight for more support claiming that the country hasn’t seen such a heatwave in over 15 years.

The idea of a natural disaster will be confirmed by German authorities if more than 30% of the average annual harvest is destroyed.

Financial loss to farmers

The president of the German Farmers’ Association DBV, Joachim Rukwied, stated that the country expects billions in losses. Speaking to German media, he continued by discussing how the grain crop alone has shrunk by up to eight million tonnes, “stripping €1.4bn from revenues so far.”

Poor growing weather, including a heatwave and lack of rain, has damaged crops in France, Germany and the Baltic Sea countries, while a shortage of animal feed is also looming after damage to maize crops and grass.

“Expensive animal feed will have to be purchased,” Rukwied told German TV channel ZDF.

While the sunshine has fostered larger and sweeter fruit than usual, sugar beets, rapeseed, potato and corn crops have been decimated in the drought, prompting farmers to cut their losses and harvest two to three weeks earlier than usual.

Many dairy farmers have responded by selling their livestock. The number of slaughtered cows and heifers surged by 10% in the first two weeks of July, according to figures from the Federal Agriculture and Nutrition Agency.

Farmland in flames

While Sweden and Greece have been ravaged by devastating forest fires, Germany has been less affected by the heat in this way because of its less vulnerable types of vegetation and higher concentration of fire brigades. However, grain fields mark an exception and Saxony-Anhalt has seen wide swathes of farmland go up in flames.

Effect on food prices

BOGK, the German Association of the Fruit, Vegetable and Potato Processing Industry, warned on Sunday that the ongoing drought means potato harvests will be "dramatically" reduced this year.

Out of all the potato products, French fries are likely to be affected the most, the association warned, with a price increase on the horizon.