“Self-sufficiency is at risk”

Climate change and the associated capricious weather are putting farmers under increasing pressure: Due to the difficult weather conditions, for example, the harvest volume of potatoes this year was significantly lower than last year: 528,000 tons were harvested this year, a decrease of 22 percent. The reason was an adverse mix of rain and heat. In addition, the cultivated area fell from 21,500 to 19,000 hectares. The oil pumpkin harvest fell by 42 percent to 16,000 tons.

A relatively cool spring led to problems with sowing and germination for summer crops such as corn, said Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig. Self-sufficiency in essential foodstuffs is now clearly at risk.