Europe’s heatwave in June cost grain farmers €2bn in lost revenue and crop damage

Europe’s June heatwave is estimated to have hit grain farmers across the continent with about €2bn in lost revenue and crop damage, according to a new analysis reported by The Guardian Business.

The assessment says the extreme weather destroyed 10 million tonnes of crops and left Europe’s grain harvest set for its weakest year in a decade. The total harvest of crops including wheat, barley, maize and oats is now forecast to be 9 million tonnes smaller than expected before the heatwave, according to Coceral, the European association representing trade in cereals and oilseeds.

The figures point to a significant squeeze on farm incomes at a time when producers are already contending with volatile weather conditions. The report also raises concerns that reduced grain supplies could feed through into food prices, though the scale of that impact was not detailed in the feed summary.

Coceral’s revised forecast suggests the June heatwave had a broad effect on Europe’s crop outlook, cutting both the physical volume of grain available and the revenue farmers can expect from their harvests. The estimated losses cover several major staple crops, underscoring how widespread the damage was across the sector.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and reflects analysis cited by The Guardian Business. No additional details were provided in the feed about which countries were most affected or how the losses are distributed across different crops.

Source: The Guardian Business - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/22/europe-heatwave-june-farming-lost-revenue-crop-damage