Drought and heatwaves impact agriculture in Czech Republic and Slovakia

Severe heatwaves and drought are causing significant agricultural damage across Central Europe, specifically impacting farmers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the Plzeň region of the Czech Republic, extreme temperatures have led to reduced yields for rapeseed, winter barley, and winter wheat. Farmers face a critical shortage of fodder crops like corn, which may force them to sell off livestock to prevent starvation, potentially leading to lower meat prices and reduced operations for biogas plants.

In response to the crisis, Slovak Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč announced that the government will accelerate the payment of subsidies, distributing 200 million euros in direct payments as early as September. An additional 5 million euros has been allocated to livestock breeders. The Slovak government is also easing regulations regarding livestock grazing and mowing to mitigate the impact of the drought. Slovak agricultural representatives have criticized the European Commission for failing to provide sufficient financial relief from reserve funds to compensate for climate-driven crop losses.