Drought ends Austria’s sugar self-sufficiency for first time since World War II
Monday 28th September 2026 on 22:30 in
Austria
Austria is expected to lose its sugar self-sufficiency for the first time since World War II after a drought-hit sugar beet harvest, ORF reported. The harvest is due to begin in Upper Austria in October, and farmers there expect yields to be about 30 percent lower.
“It hardly rained during the main growing season this summer,” said Teddy Steinmayr, a farmer from Wolfern in the Steyr-Land district. The beets are smaller this year, he said, adding that the lower yield would have a serious financial impact. Farmers in Lower Austria expect an even poorer harvest.
Production costs have also risen sharply in recent years, particularly for fertiliser and harvesting equipment. Fertiliser costs have doubled, Steinmayr said, making beet cultivation increasingly difficult for smaller farms. Some farmers with only three or four hectares of beet quota say it is no longer worthwhile, he added.
Austria has only one sugar factory, Steinmayr said, warning that its future could be in question if current trends continue. Upper Austria is supporting the purchase of sugar beet harvesters, while industry representatives say many farms may not cover their costs this year.
Martin Bäck, a spokesperson for Upper Austria’s sugar beet growers, said the crop needs substantial rainfall from mid-June to mid-September. This year, it did not get the water it needed, and hot days also harmed growth.
Bäck said Upper Austria is expected to account for more than a third of production this year and has some of Europe’s strongest growing conditions. But beet cultivation has declined on land with little capacity to retain water, such as fields where gravel begins about 30 centimetres below the surface. It is increasingly concentrated on deeper soils.
Growers are hoping that poor harvests in several European countries will push up sugar prices and offset some of their losses. Steinmayr said he is not considering quitting, but warned that the challenges and costs facing farmers are growing.