Hop Growers Pull-Back Due to Reduced Demand
Hop growers had predicted moderate growth in the hop harvest and in sales this year but have now pulled back their estimates to flat over 2019 because of the drop in beer sales during the pandemic and the expected slow return to normal in the on-premise business.
Washington state growers cultivated 41,000 acres of hops and Oregon growers cultivated 7,300 acres in 2019 according to an article in the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. Despite good spring and early-summer conditions for hop growing in the Pacific Northwest, growers are planning on harvesting about the same acreage as last year.
