Switzerland’s drought crisis reaches farms, forests and household budgets

Swiss agriculture is facing CHF 522 million in losses in 2026, a scale of damage comparable to the record heatwave year of 2003. Across the country, weeks without meaningful rainfall and repeated heatwaves have cut harvests, raised irrigation costs and pushed the drought into supermarket prices.

The Swiss Farmers’ Union estimates that half of the grain maize crop has been lost. Hay losses have reached 40%, while forage maize is down 30%. Potatoes and sugar beet have each fallen by about 20%. The consequences extend beyond fields. Livestock farmers face higher feed bills and, in some cases, have had to reduce herds because fodder is scarce.

The Federal Council has responded with CHF 54 million in interest free loans for farms. The money can help businesses cover immediate income gaps, but farmers must repay it. Environment Minister Albert Rösti said the dry spell had placed pressure on livestock, waterways, ecosystems, forests, power generation and river transport. He rejected calls to declare a national emergency, arguing that existing federal, cantonal and municipal structures can manage the crisis.

Parliament is expected to debate the response during its autumn session, with decisions on additional measures due by October.

Swiss potato production has fallen to 333,000 tonnes, its lowest recorded level. The figure is almost 20% below the five year average of 411,000 tonnes from 2020 to 2025, leaving Switzerland dependent on roughly 130,000 tonnes of imports to fill the gap.

The shortfall is already moving through the food chain. Potato producers negotiated a price increase of only two centimes per kilogram with major retailers, despite sharply higher production costs and the need for additional irrigation. The sugar beet sector expects a deficit of 25,000 tonnes. Cherry production is 15% below forecast, with plums and raspberries also affected. Vegetables intended for autumn storage are expected to be smaller and less productive.

Milk prices are also rising. An indicative increase of four centimes per litre has been agreed, while the dairy sector plans to ask the Confederation for another four centimes in emergency support. For households, these adjustments add to food costs at a time when drought is also increasing pressure on producers, processors and retailers.

Markus Waber, deputy director of the Swiss Union of Vegetable Producers, warned that autumn vegetables would have lower yields and smaller sizes. Importers can soften the immediate supply shock, yet they expose consumers and producers to international prices and transport risks.

Yellow treetops appeared as early as July, weeks before the normal autumn change. In Swiss forests, that early leaf loss signals more than a seasonal adjustment. Ansgar Kahmen, a professor of physiological plant ecology at the University of Basel, says drought stress has damaged tree tissues and could kill many trees immediately or within the coming years.

Beech trees are especially important to the country’s landscape, accounting for approximately 19% of all trees in Swiss forests. Evidence from the 2018 drought showed why early warning signs matter. Around 5% of Swiss beech forest areas developed premature yellowing, and many affected trees failed to produce new buds the following spring. Research by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research has confirmed the lasting damage severe water stress can cause to the tissue that produces new leaves and shoots.

Tree mortality also carries practical risks. Forests protect Alpine communities from avalanches, landslides and other hazards. Dead and weakened trees absorb less carbon dioxide and become more vulnerable to pests and disease. Kahmen says Swiss forests will survive, but their species mix and appearance will change as trees with deeper or more extensive root systems prove better able to reach remaining moisture.

More than 110 farms are testing ways to keep water in the landscape through the Slow Water project. Urs Burri’s farm in Ellbach, canton Lucerne, shows how the approach works. A pond and two smaller retention basins collect water and release it gradually through drainage pipes. Grass around the pond remains green while nearby pastures have turned yellow brown.

The project is supported by the Federal Office for Agriculture and co funded by the cantons of Basel Country and Lucerne. Oliver Schilling, a hydrology professor at the University of Basel and an expert at Eawag, says the programme has two goals: reducing soil erosion and retaining water so farmers can use it during dry spells without immediately drawing on public supplies.

That approach reflects a changing water pattern. Heavy rainfall can arrive in short bursts, followed by weeks without rain. Water may run off hardened or saturated ground instead of replenishing soils and streams. Switzerland remains water rich overall, but local supplies are uneven. At least 151 municipalities restricted pool filling or garden watering during the summer.

Burri keeps cattle, pigs, poultry, bees and an orchard of about 80 fruit trees. For farms like his, retention ponds, healthier soils and better land management offer protection against repeated shocks, though they require investment and cooperation across property boundaries.

The drought is forcing Switzerland to decide how much adaptation it will finance and who will pay. The Federal Council is seeking CHF 17.5 million for forest climate adaptation in 2027, with a similar amount potentially available each year from 2028. The proposed funding would arrive as foresters confront tree mortality, safety risks and the cost of changing species and management practices.

The farm package has exposed a sharper political choice. Interest free loans can support liquidity, but they do not erase losses and must be repaid. Environment Minister Albert Rösti said some farms may not survive for economic reasons, while maintaining that businesses must carry part of the risk. The Greens have called for a new state secretariat for climate protection, and the Socialists, Greens and Green Liberals want an extraordinary parliamentary debate.

Heat is also changing public expectations beyond agriculture. A survey by Leewas for 20 Minuten and Tamedia found that 67% of respondents supported wider installation of air conditioning, while 91% wanted schools, hospitals and care homes equipped with cooling systems. Yet 67% opposed public subsidies for air conditioning in private homes.

The government’s October review will cover public health, animal welfare, heat mapping and further farm measures. Its decisions will help define whether drought policy remains emergency relief or becomes a permanent system for managing water, land and heat.