Bern: Swiss farmers could face severe financial difficulties and an increased risk of farm closures this winter after extreme summer heat caused feed shortages and added pressure on livestock and agricultural production, Swiss media reported Wednesday. Farmers are already struggling with shortages of animal feed, sick cattle, low milk prices, and dried-out grasslands following the hot and dry summer.

According to Anadolu Agency, farming representatives warned that the most serious consequences may not become apparent until later in the year, when stored feed supplies begin to run out. Jurg Iseli, a farmer and president of the Bernese Farmers' Association, said many farms are currently focused on immediate priorities, including caring for livestock and securing available feed. 'The worst-case scenario would be if the haylofts are empty at the beginning of the year, if the silage bales are used up, and then the farmers realize what that actually means,' Iseli said.

Farmers have already been forced in some cases to sell animals and carefully ration their remaining feed supplies, according to the report. Marie-Louise Koller, a master farmer and communications officer at a farmers' helpline, said many farmers are currently operating in 'functional mode,' dealing first with livestock, feed, and harvests, while financial problems, exhaustion, and concerns over their livelihoods could emerge later.

The nonprofit helpline normally receives around 150 calls annually but has not yet recorded a significant increase despite the difficult conditions. Koller warned that the extreme summer could become a tipping point for farms that were already struggling financially or whose operators were under significant personal strain. 'This year, it may indeed be the hot summer that forces certain business managers to give up,' she said.

Iseli also said an above-average number of farms could close, although the precise impact remains unclear.