Drought puts Hungary’s paprika production under growing pressure

Yesterday 11:15

By: Azzat Manal

Drought puts Hungary’s paprika production under growing pressure

Hungary’s traditional paprika industry is facing growing pressure from drought, rising temperatures and shrinking cultivated areas, adding climate-related challenges to existing competition from cheaper imports and changing food habits.

Paprika has long been associated with Hungarian cuisine and cultural identity, particularly in the historic production regions around Kalocsa and Szeged. But increasingly difficult growing conditions are making cultivation more demanding for farmers who depend on irrigation and manual harvesting.

In Kalocsa, some producers managed to protect their crops during an exceptionally dry summer by investing additional time and effort in maintaining soil moisture. Farmers say, however, that increasingly frequent heatwaves could make production more difficult and costly in the years ahead.

Official figures illustrate the long-term decline in the crop’s cultivated area. Land devoted to the peppers used to produce paprika fell from more than 13,000 hectares in 1979 to about 1,410 hectares in 2024.

The decline has several causes. Farmers face competition from imported paprika and other pepper products, particularly from China, while demand for some traditional dishes has weakened. Producers also report difficulties finding seasonal workers for the labor-intensive harvest.

Climate change is adding another layer of uncertainty. Longer dry periods and more intense heat can increase irrigation needs, reduce yields and create conditions favorable to certain pests and plant diseases. These factors can raise production costs and make small-scale cultivation more difficult to sustain.

Paprika production is particularly sensitive to water availability because pepper plants require sufficient moisture during key stages of growth. Farmers therefore face a difficult balance between maintaining yields and managing increasingly limited water resources.

The spice has a long history in Hungary. Pepper plants reached Europe from the Americas in the 16th century and were later cultivated extensively in Hungary, where paprika gradually became an important ingredient in national cuisine. Over time, it also became closely associated with Hungarian cultural identity.

The challenges facing the sector reflect a broader issue for European agriculture, as changing rainfall patterns, higher temperatures and more frequent periods of extreme weather put pressure on traditional crops. For Hungarian paprika producers, adapting cultivation methods while maintaining the quality and distinctive characteristics of the country's paprika will be increasingly important for the industry's future.