German harvest hit by drought: farmers' association

German crops output this year was hit by unusually long-lasting drought, said the country's farmer association (DBV) on Tuesday.

"The severe drought seen in large parts of Germany since May has left its mark on the grain harvest," said DBV in a statement.

So far this year, German farmers harvested only 46.5 million tons of grain, 11 percent less than the level of last year when 52 million tons of the staple crops were harvested.

DBV President Joachim Rukewied said negative effects of the ongoing drought were expected to last until later this year, and hit "crops still growing such as corn and sugar beets, as well as grass land and forage crops."

Fruits and vegetables were also impacted, according to the association. Asparagus harvest declined 5 percent to 108,000 tons compared to the previous year, while apple harvest was also expected to fall yearly by 21 percent to 885,000 tons in 2015.

DBV said besides the drought, falling prices of agricultural produce also reduced farmers' income.

"The prices declined particularly in pork and dairy produce, as well as in cereals, fruits and vegetables since the start of this year," said the association, adding that German farmers' income loss due to price pressure was expected to be over 3 billion euros (3.3 billion U.S. dollars). Endit