Hungary’s corn harvest is now estimated at 4–4.2 million tonnes, down from about 6.3 million tonnes in 2023 after a drought‑like summer. The drop results from extreme summer dryness, shrinking cultivated area and more volatile regional weather. Experts warn the shortfall strains processors and animal‑feed markets and could persist into 2025 unless farmers adopt drought‑tolerant varieties, better irrigation and improved agronomy. If adaptation falls short, some producers may replace corn with soybeans or sunflowers.
Hungary's Corn Harvest Plunges to 4–4.2M Tonnes After Drought — Feed and Processing Sectors at Risk
Hungary’s corn harvest is now estimated at 4–4.2 million tonnes, down from about 6.3 million tonnes in 2023 after a drought‑like summer. The drop results from extreme summer dryness, shrinking cultivated area and more volatile regional weather. Experts warn the shortfall strains processors and animal‑feed markets and could persist into 2025 unless farmers adopt drought‑tolerant varieties, better irrigation and improved agronomy. If adaptation falls short, some producers may replace corn with soybeans or sunflowers.
06:18 AM, 11/11/2025Environment
Hungary's corn harvest plunges to 4–4.2 million tonnes after drought
Corn yields in Hungary are projected at just 4–4.2 million tonnes this year, down from roughly 6.3 million tonnes in 2023 after a summer of drought-like conditions. The shortfall reflects a combination of severe summer dryness, a gradual reduction in cultivated area over the past decade and increasingly unpredictable regional weather.
Regional differences in rainfall and temperature produced wide variation in field outcomes, prompting some farmers to question whether continued reliance on corn is still viable in all areas of the country.
Gergely Dózsa, an agricultural specialist in MBH Bank’s Agricultural and Food Business Unit, told Agroinform:
Due to this year's dry summer, a yield of more than 4.2 million tonnes is not expected in 2025 either, which again poses a challenge to the processing industry and market players involved in animal feed.
Declining harvests in Hungary mirror a global trend of more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Scientists point to rising temperatures driven by heat-trapping greenhouse gases from fossil-fuel use; substantial emissions cuts are needed to reduce the frequency and severity of such events.
Impacts
The reduced corn output threatens processors and the animal-feed sector, risks straining supply chains and could push grocery prices higher—adding pressure to already stretched household budgets. Farmer livelihoods are also at stake: some producers may abandon corn, switch crops or suffer significant income losses.
Hungarian corn is already susceptible to mycotoxin-producing fungi, drought stress and intense ultraviolet radiation, which amplify losses during extreme seasons.
Adaptation options
- Short-term measures: improve irrigation efficiency, strengthen storage and testing for mycotoxins, and develop contingency buying strategies for processors.
- Medium- to long-term actions: adopt drought-tolerant and disease-resistant hybrids, diversify crop rotations, implement soil-conserving agronomy and consider shifting parts of production to more resilient crops such as soybeans or sunflowers where appropriate.
- Policy and research: targeted support, investment in water management and accelerated breeding programs will help farmers adapt.
Without timely adaptation and policy support, Hungary could see structural changes in cropping patterns with broader implications for feed markets and food security.