# "We need to rebuild fodder stocks": in Vendée, farmers and their animals pay heavily for the drought

> The Vendée Chamber of Agriculture reports that dry conditions after a hot, dry summer and a dry autumn have left farms with very low forage stocks. Milk output in the department has fallen 20%, and cereal and forage stocks have also dropped sharply. Some farmers have spent 50,000 to 60,000 euros buying silage maize and hay this year.

- Date: 2026-11-14 · published 2026-11-14T18:16:10.280Z
- Category: weather · region France · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/99772-we-need-to-rebuild-fodder-stocks-in-vendee-farmers-and-their-animals-pay
- Commodities: [Grass Hay](https://feedsoft.ai/c/GRASSHAY.md), [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Drought-driven forage shortages raise demand for purchased silage, hay and feed while cutting local milk supply, which supports feed prices. Farmers plan to rebuild stocks in 2027, which will keep forage demand elevated.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: bullish ▲
- GRASSHAY: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2018-06-20 | [Where are milk prices headed in rising dairy markets? - Farmers Weekly](https://feedsoft.ai/events/64546-where-are-milk-prices-headed-in-rising-dairy-markets-farmers-weekly.md) | -0.7% | -7.0% |
| MILK | 2017-07-06 | [Food Prices Near 2-Year High Thanks to a Record Surge in Butter and Wheat - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6181-food-prices-near-2-year-high-thanks-to-a-record-surge-in-butter-and-wheat.md) | -0.3% | +5.2% |
| MILK | 2021-04-28 | [Dairy farmers struggle with high costs in tricky market - Farmers Weekly](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47614-dairy-farmers-struggle-with-high-costs-in-tricky-market-farmers-weekly.md) | -0.0% | +7.5% |
| MILK | 2017-09-29 | [Dry summer, hot September stress farmers - Spartan Newsroom](https://feedsoft.ai/events/68805-dry-summer-hot-september-stress-farmers-spartan-newsroom.md) | +2.3% | +2.0% |
| MILK | 2018-11-06 | [No need for El Nino panic, yet](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61972-no-need-for-el-nino-panic-yet.md) | -1.3% | -6.3% |

## Sources

- ici.fr: https://www.ici.fr/pays-de-la-loire/vendee-85/il-faut-refaire-les-stocks-de-fourrage-en-vendee-les-eleveurs-et-leurs-animaux-paient-lourdement-la-secheresse-3916598

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.