I have just returned from north-east Germany, a region of the world that has not seen rain of any consequence for five months, with ongoing drought.
While German farmers working heavier soils have been able to cope, just about, the impact on growers trying to produce crops on lighter land in that country has been devastating.
Yields, in these cases, have dropped by as much as 75%, relative to what would be considered normal levels of output.
But the term ‘normal farming practice’ is a fast changing one; not just in Germany, but in countries like France as well.
Continuing drought conditions
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity of visiting farms in the Yonne region, about 100 miles south-east of Paris.
Here again the devastating drought conditions, that characterised the summer of 2022, wrought havoc on all crop yields.
But this has not been a one-off event for our European colleagues. Farmers that I spoke to in Germany are quick to point to the fact that drought conditions are now a common occurrence in most growing seasons.
For the record, temperatures touched 20°C this week in Berlin with the mild weather set to continue into early November.
Impact on agriculture
So what implications might these developments have for farmers and the food sector as a whole?
First off, French farmers now view livestock production as a marginal enterprise. Lack of moisture means that grass does not grow; the implications for cattle, dairy and sheep production are obvious.
The latest beef output figures from France already bear out this trend: Cattle slaughterings there have fallen by 11% over the past five years.
So could the potential to export beef from Ireland to France increase significantly over the coming years? Let’s hope so.
Meanwhile, German farmers are being actively encouraged to invest in solar panels. The countryside there is already being significantly primed for the development of these renewable energy projects.
This activity is taking place with the combined support of government subsidies and private sector investment.
The bottom line, in terms of these developments, may well be a significant fall-off in the area of land available to produce food right across Germany.
So here again, the potential for Ireland to export beef, dairy and lamb products to this market may well increase over the coming years.
So much for the theory. However, this good news story only becomes a reality for agriculture in Ireland, if the spectre of drought and hotter summers does not come to haunt us as well.