 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Hop harvest in the Czech Republic expected to be a third lower due to drought and heat |
| Prag, 10.09.2026 |
|
| Drought and high temperatures have hit hop production in the Czech Republic. The yield is expected to be almost a third lower and there are also problems with quality. The server novinky.cz reported this.
Hops have been damaged by high summer temperatures and a long-term lack of moisture. As early as mid-August, growers estimated a harvest drop of about a fifth compared to the long-term average, but now they are talking about 30%.
However, the problem is not only the quantity. In the case of the most widespread variety, Žatecký poloraný červeňák, the content of alpha bitter acids, which are important for the quality and bitterness of beer, has dropped significantly this year. "All analyses show a value slightly above 2%," said Jiří Smetana, chairman of the Hop Growers' Association. Normally, the content of alpha acids ranges from 3.3% to 3.5%, the historical minimum from 2015 was 2.1%.
This year, the advantage was given to hop fields with irrigation, but only a quarter of the areas have this. Moreover, even there, according to the Minister of Agriculture Martin Šebestyán, it was not always possible to supply the plants with enough water. The Hop Institute is therefore focusing part of its breeding on making traditional Czech varieties more resistant to heat.
This year, growers have also been dealing with a long-standing problem with a shortage of workers during the harvest. Former student workers are being replaced by foreigners, mainly from Romania and Bulgaria and partly from Hungary and Slovakia. "Due to the weaker harvests, the problem with temporary workers was not as big this year, but it still persists," added Smetana.odkaz na stránku |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Address : Euro-Brew Ltd., Hlboká 22, 917 01 Trnava, Slovakia
Tel. : +421 33 53 418 53, Fax : +421 33 53 418 52, E-mail : info@eurobrew.sk |
|
|
