Drought pushes Austrian farmers towards crisis as aid package nears

Austria’s prolonged drought is worsening conditions for farmers, and the government plans to draw up an aid package as quickly as possible, ORF reported. Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig said negotiations on support measures should begin soon.

In St. Veit an der Gölsen in the Lilienfeld district, fields that would normally provide green pasture for cattle have dried out. Dairy farmer Rudolf Buchner said his first grass harvest was 30 to 50 percent below normal, while the second produced no harvest at all. His farm now depends on purchased feed.

Because the drought affects the whole of Austria, there is not enough feed available on the market, Buchner said. He has turned to maize plants originally intended for grain production. Transporting the maize over long distances to his farm is a major logistical and financial challenge, but he said it was the only way to feed his cattle through the winter.

Farmers are facing feed shortages, crop losses, premature ripening and early slaughtering. The Austrian Hail Insurance company is due to present initial figures on the scale of the damage on Monday, when talks on government assistance are also expected to begin.

During a visit to Buchner’s cattle farm on Saturday, Totschnig said the federal government and the provinces needed to develop measures together. He identified operating loans, interest subsidies and deferred loan repayments as an initial priority.

Stephan Pernkopf, the deputy governor responsible for agriculture, said further support should include suspending social insurance contributions. Farmers’ Association chairman Georg Strasser said 2026 was pushing farmers across Austria to their limits and called for rapid and uncomplicated relief measures.

Buchner said the support was urgently needed. Buying feed and acquiring additional maize fields would cost him between 40,000 and 50,000 euros, while producer prices in dairy farming were poor. At the same time, the costs of inputs such as fertiliser and energy had risen sharply.

“If we want to preserve this form of agriculture and forestry as family businesses, we need support now,” Buchner said. He also urged consumers to choose products from Austria.