Drought Drives Up Swiss Milk And Potato Prices

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The heatwaves and prolonged drought in Switzerland this summer are having a profound impact on the agricultural sector. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Drought drives up Swiss milk and potato prices This content was published on September 4, 2026 - 17:03 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Italiano it Siccità e caldo incidono sui raccolti, latte e patate più cari Original Read more: Siccità e caldo incidono sui raccolti, latte e patate più

With harvests decimated and production costs soaring due to the need for supplementary irrigation, the economic consequences are now being felt directly in prices, that are already confirmed for milk and potatoes.

According to estimates by the Swiss Farmers' Union (USC), total losses for Swiss agriculture will amount to CHF522 million in 2026.“This figure matches the losses recorded in 2003, another year characterised by a record-breaking heatwave,” a spokesperson told AWP.

The USC estimates that 50% of the grain maize harvest has been lost, whilst losses for forage maize have reached 30%. Potatoes and sugar beet have both seen a 20% decline and 10% for soya, sunflowers and fresh vegetables.

Fresh fruit has seen a 5% decline. Crops, such as hay have been hit hardest, with losses reaching 40%.

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