Persistent Drought in Tyrol Threatens Mountain Farmers' Winter Feed Supplies

Effects on Alpine Pastures and Mountain Agriculture

According to the Chamber, the drought is the result of a large-scale weather pattern persisting since early summer, featuring high temperatures and very little precipitation. Springs and wells are carrying less water, and individual streams have already dried up. As a result, not only is feed lacking, but in some cases also the water needed to supply the animals on the alpine pastures.

For the affected mountain farmers, this means existential worries. Those who cannot harvest enough hay must either buy in expensive feed, reduce their livestock numbers, or sell animals earlier. Both options cut into the income of the families, who in many regions are already dependent on secondary employment and supplementary income from tourism.

Demands on Politicians and the Chamber

The Tyrolean Chamber of Agriculture is therefore calling on the federal government and the state for short-term assistance, such as feed-purchase subsidies, transport cost reimbursements, and liquidity aid. In addition, it should be examined whether hardship funds can be disbursed earlier than usual in order to secure winter feeding.

The feed supply on the alpine pastures is also at stake, according to the Chamber's assessment. If the animals are driven down from the high pastures earlier, the feed shortage will additionally concentrate in the valley, where hay stocks are already scarce. Those responsible warn that this could trigger a chain reaction.

Ecological Consequences for the Alpine Pastures

Beyond the economic consequences, the Chambers also see ecological risks: dry alpine soils are more susceptible to erosion, and reduced grazing could alter the typical cultural landscape of the Tyrolean alpine pastures. The Chamber of Agriculture therefore also wants to initiate long-term measures for a climate-resilient feed economy.

According to the available reports, farms in several federal states are affected, with Tyrol being particularly exposed as an alpine region. Initial estimates assume that hay yields in the most severely affected locations could fall one-third to half below average.