January 27, 2023
Four key takeaways from the 2022 Hop Harvest
The hops are in the barn and the latest HAAS® HopCast® is now online. This discussion covers this year's acreages, the collaboration between HAAS and the Hop Breeding Company (HBC), the effects the brewing industry has on hop purchasing decisions, and the process of hop growing in different regions.
In the HopCast, Micah Cawley, Midwest Key Account Manager, catches up with Pete Mahony, Vice President of Supply Chain, to discuss the 2022 Hop Harvest.
Some key takeaways include:
- While overall hop acreage fell, it was less dramatic than expected; classic hops like Cascade reversed a four-year trend and began to increase; proprietary hops that have led the market were relatively unchanged
- A longer, cooler, wetter spring delayed the growing season, followed by a heat dome in the Summer, which pushed back harvest times to allow the hops to mature; wildfires and smoke were not a factor in 2022, a nice respite from the last two years
- Labor, fuel and material costs are all rising but have not impacted prices yet due to existing contracts; labor costs will continue to rise over the next three years as Washington state’s time-and-a-half overtime law come into full effect
- As brewers stay conservative waiting for consumer demand to come back, and structural surpluses continue, acreages of proprietary aroma varieties will likely reduce 20-30% in 2023, while bigger public varieties will remain level
Listen to the full Hopcast now to get the whole story. Cheers!
