Slovenia: Hop harvest expected to be much worse than last year

This year’s hop harvest is expected to be much worse than last year in Slovenia. Preliminary estimates predict a 40% year-on-year decline of around 1,300 tonnes due to adverse weather conditions. Hops expert Irena Friškovec said it would be very dependent on the weather over the next two weeks, Worldakkam reported on August 12.

Frishkovets told STA that this year’s crop has been affected by high temperatures and lack of rainfall.

However, the situation could still turn around as favorable weather conditions in the next few days could positively affect the development of cones in late hop varieties.

The Savinja Golding variety has reached maturity in an unirrigated hopyard and will be ready for harvest next week. For irrigation, she said, maturity would reach over the weekend.

Most of the hop fields have irrigation systems, but if a severe drought like this year occurs, the current water resources in the Lower Savigna Valley are inadequate, so the area will need to be replaced with regulating ponds or wet ponds. It is important to ensure in the next few years.

This year, 19 Slovenian hop producers are planting around 1,600 hectares of hop fields, of which 145 hectares are first-year plantations. Hop cultivation is the mainstay of the vast Savinja Valley, which stretches over 1,100 hectares.

Mihael Vitko, director of Jaretz-based company Hmezad Exim, told STA that supplies were piling up as certain hop varieties sold poorly last year due to Covid and declining beer sales.

Asked about the purchase price of hops this year, Vitko said it’s difficult to talk about prices on the free market because most hops are sold at pre-agreed prices.

“There is a lot of pressure on the market from major brewers. They are facing higher prices for raw materials, packaging and resources, but they also know that hops production is at record levels.” said Vitko.

The main markets for Slovenian hops are Europe, Russia and Asia. Relations with Russia are currently fragile due to sanctions imposed on the country, but new markets are opening up, such as Japan and South Korea, where about 500 tons of Slovenian hops were used in the past. .

Vitko notes that Slovenia has a high percentage of irrigated areas and sees hop cultivation as a promising agricultural sector.

He emphasized the need for improved regulation in hops production. communication between producers and traders, and an understanding of the direction and flexibility of the global market.

Frishkovets also sees the situation as promising. Young people are interested in hop cultivation, hop farms are technically comparable to European and global producers, most have drip irrigation systems and have internationally renowned experts. She said there is a Hop Research and Brewing Institute in Slovenia.

“We have developed a unique variety that has been bred in our laboratory and adapted to the growing conditions in Slovenia. Hop cultivation definitely has a future.”

E-malt.com, the global information source for the brewing and malting industry professionals. The bi-weekly E-malt.com Newsletters feature latest industry news, statistics in graphs and tables, world barley and malt prices, and other relevant information. Click here to get full access to E-malt.com. If you are a Castle Malting client, you can get free access to E-malt.com website and publications. Contact us for more information at marketing@castlemalting.com .