From July to September 2026, Germany coincided with the key stage of summer harvest and the late growth period of maize. According to CropWatch agro-meteorological monitoring results, the monitoring period was overall characterized by "warm, dry and slightly bright" conditions, with water stress gradually emerging: cumulative precipitation during the period was 148 mm, significantly 32% below the recent 15-year average; the average temperature was 18.8°C, 0.8°C above normal; and photosynthetically active radiation reached 681 MJ/m², 1% above normal. Precipitation remained persistently below normal in July, was extremely dry in early August, partially compensated in mid-to-late August, and turned significantly dry again in late September. The persistent rainfall deficit combined with above-normal temperatures substantially increased farmland evapotranspiration demand, making soil moisture deficit the primary limiting factor for maize growth in the mid-to-late stages and raising the risk of regional crop stress.

Germany's winter wheat production followed a pattern of "area up, yield down, total output broadly flat" (Figures 2.11/2.12), with the overall production situation remaining stable but under pressure. The winter wheat planted area increased compared with 2025, rising slightly from 2,486 thousand hectares in 2025 to 2,552 thousand hectares in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 2.7%. The national average yield fell by 2.6% year-on-year, decreasing from 7,991 kg/ha in 2025 to 7,783 kg/ha in 2026. The expansion in planted area partly offset the impact of yield losses, and total winter wheat production in Germany is projected at 19.86 million tonnes, largely unchanged from the previous year.

Figure 2.11 German winter wheat distribution during July to September 2026

Figure 2.12 German winter wheat yield map during July to September 2026