In this edition of The Wire, you’ll enjoy reading about the incredible milestones HPA has achieved across many areas of the business in recent months.
Despite a challenging external market outlook, we’re continuing to focus on our work, systems and processes to improve safety, quality and cost control. This hard work is setting HPA up for continued success and growth as we navigate the current volatile and oversupplied markets. Pleasingly, we continue to receive positive customer feedback on crop 2024 performance in beer.
In January, we successfully concluded the wet commissioning of Hop Central, our new pelleting, packaging and cold storage facility in Myrtleford. The commissioning process utilised hop bales set aside from crop 2024. As we lead up to the first harvest using our new facility, all major building works are complete. In the coming weeks, additional signage, landscaping, and driveway resurfacing will be completed at the site. HPA’s Board members will visit Myrtleford in late April for a scheduled Board meeting. We will use this opportunity to hold an official opening ceremony. Stay tuned for more details! Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the project, and congratulations on playing a huge part in enhancing the flavour and consistency of our hops through world-class quality and technology standards.
On a quality note, the first of our Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) audits was completed in January. Our auditor was impressed with the facility and the new controls we have in place. The new processing line boasts two metal detectors for additional foreign object removal as well as being temperature controlled throughout. This is a huge step forward for food safety and quality. Our people are also looking a little different at Hop Central, with contractors and teams following the new hygiene procedures with overcoats and hair-covering when entering the manufacturing zone. Our FSSC accreditation audit is scheduled for April and is an important milestone for HPA and Hop Central operations. We hope from this audit that the facility will be recommended for official FSSC certification.
The unexpected shift in US demand for our 2025 Galaxy® hops affected our planned 2025 production schedule, and subsequently led to additional hectares being idled that we had initially intended to harvest. Although our production capacity for this coming harvest was reduced, it gave us the opportunity to focus on maintaining the health of our hop plants and soil in the idle areas, ensuring they are in optimal condition when demand increases. We are already seeing signs of improvement in plant and soil health. We will continue to collaborate closely with our friends at Haas to maximise future demand and ensure continued international success for our Aussie hops.
As we prepare for another busy period, we thank everyone for their support and commitment to HPA. We wish everyone a safe and productive harvest season.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the leadership team or your manager if you have any questions.
