Czech Republic: Hop-processing capacities in the Czech Republic

CHMELARSTVI, cooperative Zatec, which owns all the hop-processing capacities in the Czech Republic, processed 5,306 tonnes of hops in 2004, Hop Growers Union of the Czech Republic communicated in a press release on December 14. 38,4 % were pellets type 45, 56,8 % pellets type 90 and 4,8 % cone hops.

In 2005 the processing started already at the end of August and the 3-shift work began on 5th September which is approx. a month earlier than during previous years. By the end of November already 2596 t of hops were processed which is about 226 t more than in the same period last year.

CHMELARSTVI is owned jointly by Czech hop growers and has representation in all three Czech hop growing regions. The plants for hop pellets are however only in the centre of Czech hop growing, in Zatec. There is one plant for pellets type 90 and one plant able to process hops to pellets type 90 as well as type 45. This plant belongs to one the most modern hop processing units in the world. Next to these plants there are also traditional packaging plants for cone hops.

The hop processing plants in Zatec are certified according to ISO 9001:2000 and HACCP. The ISO 14001:2004 was successfully completed in November. The plant has also the American FDA certificate and there are numerous audits from international brewery groups. Only during last few months the plant was visited by quality managers from Carlsberg, Heineken, Kiring and regular audits were also undergone by representatives of SABMiller (Pilsner Urquell) or InBev (Staropramen). The processing of hops is therefore under continuous outer and inner control and according to all auditing results the plants fulfil all the strict requirements for processed hops.

The laboratories of CHMELARSTVI are members of AHA group based in Switzerland. The members are all important laboratories in Europe and the group controls the quality of work of its member laboratories and publishes results of their tests.

The quantity of hops processed in 2004 represents over one hundred thousand hop bales. Each hop bale is after it is filled with dried hops by growers sealed and then labelled with a sticker which shows following information: country, place of origin, variety of hops, hop growing region, crop year and the number of the bale. The whole certification process is under supervision of Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture. The Institute also controls the processing of hop pellets and issues the Certificate that is a proof of origin of the quality Czech hops.

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