Burnt corn fields stretch across acres of dry land in north-eastern Bosnia, where farmers said severe heat and drought devastated this year's crop.

The country has seen multiple heat waves this summer. The most recent reached its peak across the Balkans last Thursday as temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius and authorities battled drought and wildfires.

All grain farmers can do is watch their corn crops and livelihoods wither.

Slavisa Lukic stood in the cornfield as stalks blew limply in the breeze behind him. He said this year's corn yield would be very poor, if there is one at all.

He recalled a time when the yields were much higher. Once the land yielded around 6 to 7 tons per hectare. "However, that time is gone," he said.

Lukic said he expects this year's corn yield will be around 1.5 to 2 tons per hectare.

Pointing to the drought-stricken land, Lukic said clover fields that once grew abundantly have all but disappeared.

"Now they literally do not exist," he said. 

Agriculture contributes roughly 5% of the country's annual GDP and 10% of its total employment, with corn being its largest crop, according to official statistics.

Agronomist Dr Dragan Zaric, wearing sunglasses as sweat dripped down his forehead in the intense heat, said grain farmers have to adapt.

"To reduce the negative effects of drought and the consequences it has on the production of corn, it's up to farmers to choose drought-tolerant hybrids and adequate levels of agricultural technology.

"This includes everything from processing to fertilizing to harvesting, and finally, where possible, irrigation," Zaric said.

He added that the latter is especially important because not all Bosnian farmers have access to irrigation infrastructure.

As Europe continues to warm faster than any other continent, whether Bosnian farmers can adapt quickly enough remains uncertain.

For now, this year's harvest prospects look bleak.

Lukic said he will be forced to scale back corn production or "in the worst-case scenario to completely give it up because of the high temperatures".