Farmers in Baden-Württemberg forced to slaughter livestock due to feed shortage

Where the situation is particularly critical

Regions with a high share of grassland are especially affected. On the meadows around Schwäbisch Hall and in the Reutlingen district, grass has barely regrown this summer, farm managers from the region report. The LBV speaks of a tense supply situation across the state that could worsen further as autumn approaches.

Dominik Modrzejewski, a farmer in the region, describes the situation on his farm to the association as "existenzbedrohend" (existentially threatening). He said he had to buy in feed for the winter at prices that blew apart his calculations. Without further rainfall, he would have to part with more animals. "Wir versuchen, jedes Tier zu halten, das irgendwie geht", says Modrzejewski. "Aber wenn das Wetter so weitergeht, werden wir uns von einem Teil unserer Herde trennen müssen."

Bavaria is also responding

The situation is also tense in Bavaria. The Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture has set up a task force that monitors feed markets and coordinates emergency sales. A spokesperson said Minister Michaela Kaniber had personally assessed the situation on several farms. According to the ministry's assessment, cross-regional deliveries from northern German states can only partially close the gap.

The Hessian Farmers' Association (Hessischer Bauernverband) confirms the diagnosis from the southern perspective: "Gerade Grünlandbestände reagieren unmittelbar auf anhaltende Trockenheit: Wenn Niederschläge ausbleiben oder regional sehr ungleich verteilt sind, wächst Gras deutlich schlechter nach, Weiden trocknen aus und die Futtergrundlage für die Tiere wird knapp", the association said in a statement. Hessian herds are less severely affected, but farms there are also seeing rising feed costs.

What the LBV is demanding from the state government

The LBV is demanding short-term aid from the state government in Stuttgart: drought relief payments, a relaxation of documentation requirements for feed purchases, and tax relief for farms that have been dragged into a loss situation through no fault of their own. The federal and state governments are also negotiating adjustments to agricultural insurance so that drought damage can be better covered in the future.

The farmers' association at the federal level also points to the structural change being accelerated by such weather extremes. Small farms without sufficient feed reserves or financial buffers come under pressure first. The current crisis shows that adaptation strategies for climate change – from changed sowing patterns to more robust forage crops – need to reach practice more quickly.

Consequences for the meat market

Consumers could feel the impact on the meat market, albeit with a time lag. Slaughterings outside the normal rhythm put short-term pressure on producer prices, while at the same time animals are lost from regular fattening. The LBV expects that regionally less domestic beef and lamb will be available next year.

The German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) expects some showers in the coming days, but no widespread rainfall in the affected regions. Agricultural meteorologists consider spring 2026 to be one of the driest since the start of comprehensive records in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

For farmers, the only option for the time being is to reduce herds, switch to alternative feed such as maize silage and, where possible, sell animals to other farms. Modrzejewski is hoping for late-summer rain: "Wenn es in den nächsten Wochen noch richtig regnet, können wir die Wiesen vielleicht noch einmal retten. Sonst wird der Winter sehr hart."