World: Alpha acid content in hops crop 2004

With the 2004 hop harvest, the percentage shares of the world market, which had been disrupted by the unusually dry weather conditions in Europe in 2003, returned to normal, according to this summer Barth report.

Germany and the USA between them accounted for 70.9% of total world alpha production in crop year 2004 (2003: 63.5%). With a share of world alpha production totalling 37.7% (2003: 24.4%), Germany overtook the USA, whose share fell to 33.2% (2003: 39.1%), as the world’s biggest alpha producer. China remained in third place, although its share of 15.8% in 2003 dropped to 8.0% in 2004 as a result of the reduction in acreage and the lower average alpha content there.

In Alpha Group I – fine aroma hops – Germany produced 40.7% (2003: 27.4%), beating the Czech Republic, with 35.6% (2003: 40.6%), into second place. In Alpha Group II – aroma hops – Germany,with 44.0%, also regained the top position it had lost to the USA in 2003 with a share of only 30.2%. The USA’s share in 2004 was only 22.3% (2003: 34.5%). The USA, on the other hand, was able to maintain leadership in Alpha Group III – bitter hops/high-alpha hops – with 38.8%, although this share was below the previous year’s figure of 42.5%. Germany followed in second place with 36.0% (2003: 23.3%).

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