Hungary's severe drought strains agriculture, feed supplies and sparks threats to ice‑hail system operators

A prolonged drought across Hungary has led to critically low soil moisture, limited rainfall and heatwaves exceeding 40 °C. Crops are suffering: corn has virtually disappeared from the planting mix, alfalfa and sunflower yields are low, and the agricultural sector reports medium to severe drought over most of the country.

The shortage is affecting the whole food chain. Feed producers warn of regional supply gaps and rising prices for hay, lucerne and other roughage, while the agricultural ministry says there is no nationwide feed shortage but is working on logistics with farmer organisations. Prices of early‑season potatoes have risen 13 % year‑on‑year, prompting calls for consumers to buy Hungarian‑grown potato.

Operators of the national ice‑hail mitigation system, which has been in use since 2018 at nearly a thousand sites, have received death threats and verbal abuse from some farmers who mistakenly blame the system for the dryness. Climate‑research professor Gál Tamás confirmed that the drought is driven by global climate change, not the hail‑suppression technology. The National Agrarian Chamber is seeking legal protection for its staff.

Industry groups such as Bold Agro and the Hungarian Product Non‑profit Association urge consumers to choose domestic products to support local producers and help stabilise the supply chain amid the ongoing drought.