The Czech Republic: Hop harvest expected to be slightly above average this year
This years Czech hop harvest is expected to be slightly above average, according to preliminary estimates, Lubo Hejda, head of the Czech Hop Growers Association, told the Czech News Agency. Favorable weather boosted yields and quality, supporting strong levels of alpha bitter acids.
Production is projected at about 6,900 tonnes of dried hops, roughly matching last years 6,494 tonnes. Hops were grown on around 4,800 hectares half a percent less than in 2023 and 200 hectares fewer than in 2018.
The atec region remains the largest with 3,690 hectares, followed by ښtěk with 500 and Trice with 622. The traditional atec semi-early red bine variety still dominates, and growers expect stable acreage as demand for fine aroma hops endures despite lower beer consumption.