Severe Droughts Impact Hungarian Agriculture Amidst Record Heat

Severe Droughts Devastate Hungarian Agriculture Amidst Extreme Heat

Hungary is currently grappling with an intense heatwave, with temperatures soaring to nearly 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. This prolonged period of extreme heat has triggered serious drought conditions, resulting in significant damage to the nation’s agricultural sector. As a consequence, third-level heat alerts have been issued across the country, remaining in effect until Sunday night.

The combination of high temperatures and a persistent lack of rainfall has led to severe soil dryness, critically affecting vital crops such as corn, sunflowers, and sugar beets. According to the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture, approximately 75,000 hectares of agricultural land have been adversely impacted by drought, and this number is rapidly increasing by tens of thousands of hectares each week.

One agricultural economist estimates that the damage to corn fields alone could exceed €600 million (HUF 240 billion), with expected yields plummeting from the annual average of eight to nine tonnes per hectare to just under five tonnes. The situation is particularly dire in specific regions, including the Danube-Tisza border, the eastern edge of Transdanubia, and the western edge of the Maros-Kőrös border, as reported by Hungary’s National Meteorological Service.

Severe drought conditions have also been documented in Bács-Kiskun, Békés, and Csongrád-Csanád, with considerable damage reported in Fejér, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, and Pest.

2024: A Year Likely to Mirror the Hottest and Driest on Record

Meteorologist Anna Mráz has drawn comparisons between this year’s temperatures and those recorded during Hungary’s hottest summer two years ago. “The summer of 2022 was marked as our driest and hottest year ever, but this year is shaping up to be quite similar. The persistent dryness has severely affected the maize and sunflower crops. Unfortunately, forecasts indicate that we are unlikely to receive significant rainfall in the near future, which poses a serious threat to agricultural productivity,” explains Mráz.

Zsolt Feldman, the state secretary responsible for agriculture and rural development, has announced that EU funds are available this year to support Hungary’s agricultural damage mitigation efforts. As a result, at least €87 million (HUF 34.8 billion) will be allocated for payments to farmers in March 2025.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture reveals that over 11,000 agricultural producers have taken out plant insurance that includes drought coverage for approximately 713,634 hectares of agricultural land this year. However, meteorologists predict that the extreme heat will persist for at least another week, further jeopardizing already struggling harvests and escalating food prices across the country.