World: Hop acreage up 5.4% this year

A number of countries are again expanding hop acreage in 2017, the Barth-Haas Group reported on June 14.

This year, global hop acreage is estimated at 59,200 ha versus 56,141 ha in 2016 (+3,059 ha or +5.4%).

The biggest increase is again seen in the US, which are now, with a strung area of 23,100 ha, the largest producing country by a long distance. In Germany, the acreage increases by nearly by 1,000 ha (to 19,543 ha) as a result of the increasing demand for hops worldwide.

Germany reacted to the rising demand for bitter hops with a significant expansion of the Herkules variety, which increases by more than 900 ha, as well as Polaris as a second pillar in the high alpha segment. The planting of 280 ha of the US flavor variety Amarillo® is also noteworthy, which is grown in Germany for the first time. The number of hop farms continues to decrease by 22 to a remaining total of 1,132. Most volumes produced in Germany are already under contract based on average production yields.

The US expanded its acreage by 1,326 acres. What is new is that the US, after having well supplied the market for flavor hops, are again turning their attention to the high alpha segment and are reversing the trend of years past when grubbing was the name of the game. First and foremost the planting of a newly bred variety, HCB682 is responsible for the expansion in this segment.

The crop outcome will therefore be of utmost importance for how the market evolves. The Barth-Haas Group forecasts a more or less balanced supply and demand in terms of alpha – always average yields and alpha acid contents provided. However, we need to look at each submarket individually, the hop company said. There are clear signals for a tightness in the high alpha segment where almost the full production is already under contract. The situation in the aroma segment needs to be looked at variety by variety, where market conditions range from well supplied to rather tight.

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