Farmers in the Starnberg district fight with extreme drought!

Farmers in the Starnberg district fight with extreme drought!

Starnberg, Deutschland - In the district of Starnberg, agriculture once again faces major challenges. On July 22, 2025, the harvest press trip of the Bavarian Farmers' Association took place, in which farmers and experts discussed the current situation. A central topic: the ongoing heat period and their effects on the harvest. While the corn harvest is bad due to considerable drought, Martin Ruhdorfer from Gauting-Obern reports of the first positive effects of the youngest rain on his 1.7 hectare corn cultivation. Nevertheless, the development remains.

Georg Holzer, district chairman, is alerted and emphasized that at least 50 liters of rain per square meter are necessary in the next six to eight weeks so that the corn harvest has a chance. The weather is difficult for the farmers: too much rain can drown the plants, while drought ensures that the leaves of the corn plants roll up. This not only affects photosynthesis, but also endangers the growth of the plants.

extreme weather conditions and future of agriculture

The extreme weather situation is reinforced by climate change and means that farmers in the Starnberg district have to adapt to even more frequent crop failures and economic losses. In addition to the weather, farmers also fight with increasing energy and machine costs and falling sales proceeds. Some companies therefore rely on old, robust varieties that can better deal with the adverse conditions. Ruhdorfer expects an average spelled harvest, while he predicts a crop failure of around 20 percent in wheat. A bright spot comes from Lorenz Wattian from Unterbrunn, who is satisfied with his wheat cultivation and has no fungal attack. Of course, the weather development will also give him a headache, and the next few weeks could decide on the success of his brewing grid "Borke".

But not only the direct harvest is an issue. Dr. Stefan Gabler indicates the worrying loss of around 1,500 hectares of agricultural space in the district in the past 25 years. An important measure to secure farmers was introduced in the form of multi -danger insurance. This insurance is intended to step in in the event of crop failures and damage caused by weather extremes and thus offer planning security. In 2025, over 6,500 farmers applied for support for almost 250,000 hectares.

state support for farmers

In order to strengthen the farmers' back, the Free State of Bavaria has launched initiatives. Since 2023, risk protection for agriculture, wine, fruit and other cultures with grants of up to 50% of the insurance premium. These measures could bring more stability, but Joachim Rukwied, President of the German Farmers' Association, also calls for public subsidies for additional hazard insurance against earnings failures. "We have to support agriculture more in adapting to climatic changes," he warns.

Time is pushing, and the coming months are crucial for the harvest. The farmers in the Starnberg district are faced with the challenge of adapting to weather -related failures and expanding their knowledge of more robust plant varieties in order to be able to continue to do a good business in the future. Merkur reports that ... and Land and Forst supplemented ...