Will the price of meat and milk rise — and why?

Meat and milk in Luxembourg might be in short supply. Drought threatens agriculture and the industries that depend on it.

The low amount of precipitation in spring has not been compensated for in summer. To make matters worse, this is the fourth consecutive drought. Soil doesn’t just dry out at the top, it loses water usually stored deep beneath the surface. Now the plants have nothing to save them, no resources to fight this and the next possible drought.

Moisture-loving crops suffered the most. Hay only yielded a half of the last year’s harvest. The corn has not yet been fully harvested, but a similar result is expected.

Meat and milk are becoming more expensive: when there is not enough feed, farmers cannot breed more animals. Fruits and vegetables have not yet been harvested, but it is already clear that there will be less of them. It is difficult for horse owners to feed their stock.

A possible solution is to grow more heat-tolerant crops. After all, agriculture exists in Africa too. But the reorientation of the entire industry, unfortunately, will not happen quickly and easily.