Europe's punishing drought shrivels crops from Dutch potatoes to Bosnian corn

A severe drought gripping much of Europe is taking a heavy toll on agriculture, with farmers from the Netherlands to Bosnia facing significantly reduced harvests. The extreme conditions, driven by accelerated human-caused global warming and a strong El Niño, are drying out soils and depleting water supplies across the continent.

In the Netherlands' southwestern Zeeland Province, farmer Maarten Janse is spreading compost, straw, and manure over his fields in an effort to nourish the parched soil. Despite these measures, his land is drying out. Nearby, Hendrik Jan ten Cate inspects a field of withered potato plants, ready for harvest a month early but with a significantly reduced yield. The potatoes, destined for companies like McDonald's, are likely to be too small for making French fries. "People want long fries," he says, holding one of the potatoes. "That's going to be tough this year." Even with irrigation, ten Cate estimates his harvest will be down by about one-third compared to average years. He notes that the combination of drought, dry air, and intense heat is particularly damaging to the crops.

In northeastern Bosnia, grain farmer Slavisa Lukic stands in a corn field where stalks blow limply in the breeze. He expects this year's yield to be around 1.5 to 2 tons per hectare, a stark contrast to the 6 to 7 tons he once grew. Clover fields that once thrived have disappeared entirely. "Now they literally do not exist," he says. "Nothing."

The drought is also affecting the Czech Republic's famous beer industry. Plzeňský Prazdroj, the country's largest beer producer, expects losses due to a stunted hops yield. Jakub Zaoral, the brewer's sustainability manager, explains that changing rainfall patterns—long dry periods punctuated by heavy storms—cause water to run off the dry soil, leading to inconsistent yields and low groundwater levels. "If it were to happen three times in a row, that could very well become an existential problem for hop growers," he says.

While some heat-resistant crops like sunflowers have fared better in Romania, record-low water levels on the Danube River are disrupting grain transport. Cezar Gheorghe, founder of grain consultancy firm Agricolumn, says farmers are in panic mode as they struggle to find storage for their harvests. In Hungary, cattle grazing plains have turned to dust, forcing dairy farmer Sándor Molnár to buy expensive feed for his 130 cows.

In eastern England, the Elveden Estate built a reservoir capable of holding enough water to fill about 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Less than a year after opening, it is almost dry. Despite this, the farm's investment in water infrastructure has allowed it to continue irrigating crops. "We're very concerned that we haven't got enough water to see us through this season," says managing director Andrew Blenkiron.

A Dutch bank focused on sustainability, Triodos, estimates the heatwaves and drought could reduce GDP across the European Union by 1% for 2026, or around 180 billion euros ($208 billion). Farmers are among the hardest hit, with many in the Netherlands no longer allowed to use water from streams and drainage channels for irrigation.

Farmers are adapting where possible. Janse uses no-till farming and has diversified by running a campsite. He also grows samphire, a crop that can tolerate salty conditions, but even that is struggling this year. "Samphire needs fresh water, and if there is only saltwater it doesn't grow either," he says.