Time flew by, and winter arrived again in the blink of an eye.
Based on Franz's many years of experience, he could tell that this would be a warm winter. In previous years, Glockner Mountain would already have seen snow by this time; this year, let alone snow, there had been very little rain.
A warm winter coupled with drought practically declared that agricultural output would fall in the coming year. Austria was not only an industrial powerhouse, but also an agricultural power, and agriculture occupied an important place in the national economy.
The Vienna Government had always attached great importance to agricultural production. After years of effort, the nation's agricultural infrastructure had gradually been perfected, along with a comprehensive disaster-response system.
Normally, unless a large-scale disaster affected the entire country, Franz would not intervene. What had drawn his attention this time was that it had occurred in Vienna.
Minister of Agriculture Hols said, "Your Majesty, the current situation is not too bad. Judging from the monitoring data gathered from various regions, the disaster has not affected a very wide area.
"It is mainly concentrated around Vienna and in Bohemia. Industry and commerce are relatively developed in these areas, and the people have a stronger capacity to withstand risk. Reduced winter wheat yields will not have much impact."
This was one of the benefits brought by the industrial age. In economically developed regions, it had become a common social phenomenon for farmers to enter the cities for work during the agricultural off-season.
With additional sources of income came greater resilience against risk. Had they still been in an agrarian society, the government would have needed to be on high alert.
Franz had merely asked in passing. A reduction in grain output within a certain range was something Austria could bear;