Czech Republic: Overview on local hop market situation

In 2004 the number of hop-growing farms in the Czech Republic fell slightly to 162. Compared with 2003, the average hop acreage remained virtually unchanged at 36 ha per farm, according to Barth Report.

While hop acreage was expanded by 10 ha in the Auscha region, it decreased by 99 ha in Saaz and by 15 ha in Tirschitz. The average yields of the traditional Saaz variety varied from one growing region to another: Saaz 0.96 mt/ha, Auscha 1.06 mt/ha, Tirschitz 1.39 mt/ha. The alpha content in Saaz hops averaged 3.7% across all the growing regions, significantly exceeding the previous year’s figure of 3.0%. The same applies to the results for the other varieties (figures for crop year 2003 in brackets): Sládek 5.4% (3.5%), Premiant 8.7% (5.9%), Bor 6.8% (4.6%), Agnus 11.0% (10.1%

All the hops from the 2004 crop were sold on the basis of forward contracts. Forward contracts already account for 97% of the 2005 crop. There is a reduction in hop acreage of approx. 100 ha in 2005.

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