Crop Development Report July 2026

Extreme drought, 12 heat days and increasingly clear damage to the stands: the Lupex Crop Development Report July 2026 documents how the challenging 2026 season is coming to a head. For most growers, the outlook for the upcoming harvest is becoming increasingly pessimistic.

With a July average of 20.2 °C, temperatures in the Hallertau were around 3.3 °C above the long-term mean. On twelve days the thermometer climbed above 30 °C — following twelve heat days in June as well. Precipitation continues the trend of recent months: at just 43 mm, July was 56.1 % below the long-term average.

Due to the high temperatures and persistent drought, various forms of damage are now visible, with some main and lateral shoots dying back. This was exacerbated in recent days by localised extreme weather events such as storms and hail — though these caused major crop losses in only a few individual gardens. Particularly worrying: the development of the hop cones is significantly delayed; both their number and size are well below average. Most growers are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the upcoming harvest, especially since the first few days of August brought no change in conditions.

In Slovenia, the crop outlook is mixed. Irrigation has so far been able to compensate for the exceptionally high temperatures, which eased overnight. However, initial irrigation restrictions are now being introduced as water levels in reservoirs and riverbeds are depleted. With the prospect of another heat wave ahead, the crop forecast is as cautious as in the other parts of Europe.

In the Czech Republic as well, another hot month put additional pressure on hop growth and cone formation. While most gardens still look quite good overall thanks to irrigation, yield expectations are clearly below the long-term average.

We will keep you updated on weather developments and the status of crop growth.

👉 Read the Crop Development Report July 2026 as a PDF now.