Hop Production Up

Hop Production Up

Hop Production Up. I'm Greg Martin with Washington Ag Today.

You can bet it will be a "hoppy" New Year. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.) The latest USDA numbers are out on the 2015 hop crop. Hops, of course, are a key ingredient in the production of beer and the northwest is one of the largest hop producing areas in the world. The Ag Network's KayDee Gilkey takes a closer look at the 2015 National Hop Report numbers.

GILKEY: Production of hops increased 11 percent during the 2015 growing season. Production for Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in 2015 totaled 78.8 million pounds, up 11 percent from 2014. Production increased in all three States; 30 percent in Oregon, 26 percent in Idaho, and six percent in Washington. Acreage increased in all three States as well; 22 percent in Oregon, 30 percent in Idaho, and 11 percent in Washington. Washington growers produced 75 percent of the United States hop crop in 2015.

Thanks KayDee. The increased value can be attributed to higher production and hop production shifting from Alpha varieties to Aroma varieties that are higher in value. Increased demand from the craft brewing sector has also increased prices for hops. The preliminary 2015 value of production of the United States hop crop is $345.4 million, up 33 percent.

And that's Washington Ag Today. I'm Greg Martin, thanks for listening on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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