Schneider (LSAP) on Monday met with farmers to mark the end of the grain harvest. Low spring temperatures and a wet summer have left harvests below expectations both in terms of quantity and quality.

For common wheat alone, losses amount to around 10%, the agriculture ministry said in a press release. In addition to stifled growth, what survived was often damaged by disease from the damp. The legume harvest “comes close to a total failure,” the ministry said.

Farmers selling their grain can benefit from high global prices to compensate the loss in volume. However, for cattle farmers this spells trouble as they will have to buy expensive feed for their animals. This is particularly problematic for pork farmers who face high expenses but low meat prices.

Schneider urged more grain to be farmed locally to meet demand for products made in Luxembourg.

Damage from the July floods amounts to around €1.65m with 820 hectares of fields and farmland affected. Despite the poor grain harvest, the outlook is more positive for corn and potatoes, which benefitted from the wet conditions.