Heat wave cuts protein in German wheat and shrinks Swiss sugar beet harvest

A late‑June heat wave with temperatures up to 41.4 °C damaged grain filling in Baden‑Württemberg, leaving the protein content of wheat markedly lower than expected. Richard Volz, head of the agrarian division at ZG Raiffeisen, said the extreme heat forced crops into a “emergency programme” and reduced yields especially in north Baden.

In Switzerland, the same weather pattern, combined with persistent drought and a widespread beetle pest, is expected to produce a sugar‑beet harvest well below the long‑term average. Nicolas Wermeille, director of the Swiss Sugar Beet Growers’ Association, warned that the first trial harvests already fall short of the five‑year norm. The reduced domestic beet supply could tighten Swiss sugar production, which normally relies on about 50 % imports, and may put upward pressure on sugar prices.

Both regions see the weather‑driven shortfalls as a factor that could affect commodity markets and farmer incomes across the central European agricultural sector.