This year, there was not “August Surprise” for European hop growers, whose crop was saved last year by unusually good weather just before harvest.
The USDA estimates that growers in Washington, Idaho and Oregon will produce about the same amount of hops as last year, with higher yields offsetting a small reduction in acres.
Estimates made as harvest began — late, in many cases — indicate that the German crop will be down about 20 percent from 2021, and 18 percent below and average year. The Czechian crop, which is almost entirely Saaz, will be down 43 percent from last year’s record crop.
BarthHaas reports, the “early maturing German varieties (Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Northern Brewer, Hallertau Tradition, Perle) are affected and will yield poorly. Rainfall towards the end of August are giving hope for the later maturing varieties that still have time to recover.”
What does this mean for the hop market? BarthHaas point out that there is, overall, excess inventory worldwide, “but these inventories are not necessarily of the varieties that are most needed.”
There is much to consider here. I’ve written about the impact of climate change on landrace hop varieties (sometimes called “noble”) for Brewing Industry Guide and what that means for the future. I’m working on a story right now about what farmers and breeders in the US Northwest are doing related to sustainability.
I’ll have more about this and the current crop, as numbers finalize in the US and abroad, in the next Hop Queries newsletter. A reminder: It is free.