Fluctuating weather patterns, characterized by a dry spring followed by a wet summer, are reportedly impacting the quality of grain harvests across Germany, according to agricultural associations.
Martin Courbier, Managing Director of the German Agricultural Trade Association, stated that grain qualities are increasingly falling short of the standards required for sale as milling wheat or brewing barley. He cautioned that Germany’s level of self-sufficiency in grain production has been declining in recent years, adding that even average harvests are no longer guaranteed.
Peter Röhrig, a board member of the German Association of Ecological Food Producers (BÖLW), notes a similar deterioration in grain quality within the organic farming sector. He indicated that regions experiencing increased rainfall have, in some instances, seen a decline in the baking quality of grain, while other areas are anticipating improved qualities.