Drought shrinks fruit and cuts Upper Austrian harvests

Persistent drought has left apples and pears unusually small in Upper Austria, with regional harvests expected to fall by 30 to 70 percent, ORF’s Upper Austria service reported. Some fruit has not reached the size required for sale.

Fruit growers Conny and Georg Roithmaier from Scharten in the Eferding district have many apples and pears on their trees, but some are only half their usual size. The lack of water has limited their growth, Georg Roithmaier said, estimating losses of up to 50 percent for apples and pears, depending on the variety.

Small apples are difficult to sell to wholesalers because the retail trade requires specific sizes. Franz Waldenberger, president of the Upper Austria Chamber of Agriculture, said those standards create a major challenge in dry years and cause further losses during marketing.

Fruit growing can scarcely be insured because premiums are too expensive for many farmers. However, the 2026 harvest has been exceptional in quality. Andreas Hoffelner, the chamber’s head of fruit and vegetables, said the many hours of sunshine had produced high sugar levels and strong flavour. The dry conditions also meant there had been few problems with fungal diseases or mould because the fruit had not become wet.

Farmers are responding to the increasingly dry climate with new ideas. Roithmaier is growing figs as an alternative for customers if several dry years follow.

For fruit growers, 2026 is a year of low yields but very high quality. The losses will be manageable if the drought does not continue over the long term, the report said.