Hop production in the Czech Republic and its international aspects

Abstract

Hop-growing has had a long tradition in the Czech Republic, and it remains in the interest of the Czech economy to further develop this agricultural sector. With an almost one-tenth share of the harvest, the Czech Republic is the third largest producer of aroma hops in the world after Germany and the US, which together account for over two-thirds of the hop market. The purpose of this article is to describe the current state of the Czech and global markets in hops, and the position of the dominant company, Chmelarstvi, druzstvo Zatec, on this market. Towards the end of 2017, the area of hop fields in the Czech Republic reached 4,945 ha, which is the most in the last 7 years. Year-over-year, this represents an increase of 3.4%. The increase was caused by the current demand for quality Czech hops and the weak European harvest in 2015. Thus, the storehouses emptied, and breweries' stores all over the world, to which 80% of domestic hop production is supplied, ran out. Since then, demand and prices have increased to a level that has begun to cover the costs of hop production. This has also meant that investments in hop production have increased. With the increasing area of hop fields in the Czech Republic, hop growers have to deal with a significant problem, which is the unavailability of workers.

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) as a Novel Multipurpose Crop for the Mediterranean Region of Europe: Challenges and Opportunities of Their Cultivation

“…Conversely, current consumers' attitude shows a growing appreciation of flavor and perceived quality of beer [49,50], while less importance is given to bitterness. As a result, in the last decade, many farmers shifted their production to more aroma hops [10]. Unfortunately, many traditional aroma hop varieties are often characterized by low yields and high susceptibility to pathogens, thus making them unappealing for hop growers [51].…”

“…For that reason, in Europe, hop cultivation historically developed in both continental and temperate regions, characterized by Dfb and Cfb climate (humid continental climate and oceanic climate, respectively), according to the Köppen-Geiger classification system [8]. Traditional European hop production areas are the Hallertau in Germany, the Žatec region in Czech Republic, Kent in the South East of England, the Lublin region in Eastern Poland, Savinja Valley, Ptuj, and the Koroška region in Slovenia, Alsace in France, the Poperinge area in Belgium [9,10].…”

Results of the Single Release Efficacy of the Predatory Mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) against the Two-Spotted Spider Mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) on a Hop Plantation

“…Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) production is widespread in the countries of Middle Europe. Germany and the Czech Republic are among the leading global hop producers, while Slovenia was the fifth largest producer of hops in the world in 2016 [1]. Among the notable harmful pests that endanger hop production in the Northern Hemisphere are the damsonhop aphid (Phorodon humuli/Schrank/) and the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch) [2].…”

Market Price and Supply of Farmland as a Means of Supporting the Wider Development of Sustainable Agricultural Production in Czechia (a Case Study)

“…The goal of hop growers in the Czech Republic is to exceed the 5000 ha boundary of a hop field area. A possible future increase in hop field area will depend mainly on the possibility of purchasing land for modification and the planting of hop fields, as well as the willingness of landowners to lease the plots of land to hop-growing companies for at least 10 to 15 years [65]. This may be attributed to increased sales of high-quality lagers, for which the local, high-quality farmland in the area is suitable to produce.…”