Poland sugar beet growers hit by drought and storm damage

Poland is experiencing a severe agricultural drought, with soil moisture in many regions falling to 15‑30 % and temperatures reaching 40 °C. River levels remain low, exemplified by the Warta River at 118 cm in Poznań. The drought has already reduced yields of spring and winter cereals across several voivodeships.

In July, intense thunderstorms and hailstorms swept parts of Greater Poland and the Lubusz border area, destroying large portions of sugar‑beet fields. Some farms report up to an 80 % loss of their beet crops, jeopardising contracts with sugar processors. Growers cite rising production costs, low sugar prices and now the storm damage as making beet cultivation unprofitable. The Polish Sugar Beet Growers Association (Związek Plantatorów Buraka Cukrowego) is urging the voivode and the Ministry of Agriculture to provide emergency financial aid and compensation, warning that without support many farms may be unable to rebuild for the next season. The State Geological Institute notes that while groundwater flows are still within safe limits, continued over‑extraction must be avoided.