Crop Report – HPA

2021 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 22:57:47 +0000

We have completed the 2021 hop harvest, picking 675 hectares that resulted in 1,526 metric tonnes of hops. This was a 44 hectare (6.9%) increase and a 25 metric tonne (1.6%) decrease year-on-year. Despite total yield coming in slightly under expectation, our Galaxy^® yield grew 7.2% year-on-year. We’re excited to share this marks 11 years of continuous growth, with the exception of 2016 when we were hit with significant hail damage.

Eclipse^® looks set to follow in Galaxy^®’s footsteps after exceeding expectations in its second year of commercialisation. Sustainably scaling up Eclipse^®, Galaxy^® and Vic Secret has been the focus of a continuing $35 million expansion in Victoria that will take our total farming operations to more than 800 hectares at completion. All additional acreage will reach commercial maturity by 2024, at which point Eclipse^® is forecast to reach 180 metric tonnes, making it our third biggest proprietary hop.

Impact in beer remains strong, with this year’s average oil content coming in above the 5-year average for all varieties except Enigma^®. These high quality outcomes are on track to continue now we have restructured the business to create a division of Agronomic Services with the purpose of improving yield, quality, and efficiencies across our farming operations. This is an extension of our strategy to grow alongside brewing customers by continuing to offer choice and diversity through the commercialisation of experimental varieties, and supporting successful beers by backing our more popular Aussie hops with significant acreage.

The highly contracted position of crop 2021 means that a very limited amount of hops will be available in the short-term. This situation, together with our expansion project drawing to a close, suggests that forward contracting is now more important than ever for supply security. Brewers are encouraged to communicate their Aussie hop needs sooner rather than later.

2019 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Mon, 20 May 2019 23:00:16 +0000

After more than a month of cutting, picking, drying and pressing, the numbers are in.

HPA harvested 589 hectares across our three farms in 2019, which resulted in a production volume of 1,482 metric tonnes. This was a 46 hectare (8.5%), 170 metric tonne (13%) increase year-on-year across six proprietary varieties – Ella, Enigma^®, Galaxy^®, Eclipse^®, Topaz and Vic Secret – as well as Cascade and Super Pride. Harvest commenced at the start of March and was completed by mid-April.

All three farms endured major weather events during the growing season. Our Victorian farms – Rostrevor Hop Gardens and Buffalo Valley – experienced extended periods of heatwave conditions through which our irrigation systems performed well, preventing impact on yield. Low rainfall and record overnight temperatures in March led to a slight delay in crop maturation compared to previous years. There is now 175 hectares of land under trellis at Buffalo Valley, 50 hectares of which will be harvested for the first time in 2020.

Tasmania experienced widespread bushfires throughout January when the majority of the crop at Bushy Park Estates was still in burr. Although these conditions did not affect yield, they are indicative of the hot and dry conditions that characterised this season. Bushy Park Estates went without substantial rainfall from the end of December until the end of February, with daytime temperatures climbing above average.

This year’s production volume allowed us to meet contractual obligations across all varieties. We experienced pleasing year-on-year increases in yield across almost all varieties, with a dramatic increase in Enigma attributed to an increase in the average maturity of recent plantings.

Harvest production volumes by variety

Despite an increase in hectares planted and production volume, the highly contracted position of our 2019 crop means that a limited amount of hops will be available in the short-term. HPA are continuing to move forward with our Buffalo Valley expansion to improve supply surety and increase varietal diversity. The $35 million project will include 300 additional hectares and a new harvest complex comprising 12 kiln floors and 2 Daunhauer pickers at completion. It is anticipated to increase our total production by 50% over a period of six years. This is a continuation of HPA’s long-term strategy to grow alongside our customers and support their successes.

2017 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Mon, 08 May 2017 23:00:25 +0000

HPA deliver a 43% year-on-year increase in production volume, however the result still fell slightly short of expectations.

Production volume of individual varieties varied widely with Enigma^® coming in 19% over budget in Tasmania, whilst Galaxy^® came in 25% under expectation in Victoria.

We harvested was 521 hectares, an increase of 88 hectares from crop 2016. The total yield was 1,188,901kg, up from 830,006kg in 2016.

Most of this increase was from the harvest of newly established plantings of Galaxy^®, Vic Secret and Enigma^®.

2016 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Tue, 03 May 2016 23:00:40 +0000

The final trailer has rolled through our picking shed, marking the end of this year’s hop harvest. One month post-harvest, with pelleting and packaging finalised, we have an understanding of final yield.

Harvest results

In 2016, we harvested 545 hectares, an increase of 57 hectares from crop 2015. Most of this increase was from the first harvest of newly established plantings of Galaxy^®, Vic Secret and Enigma^®.

Overall the area harvested yielded 1,105 metric tonnes which is 96 metric tonnes less than crop 2015, despite the increase in hectares harvested. More importantly however is the fact that this yield was approximately 300 metric tonnes less than expected.

Given the buoyant hop market, and our heavily contracted position, this resulted from harvest 2016 will require a necessary reduction in deliveries against contracts, especially for fully contracted varieties Galaxy^®, Vic Secret and Enigma^®. The impact on these varieties has necessitated the reduction in deliveries against contracts as follows.

Contract reduction per variety:

Galaxy^® = -30%

Vic Secret = -45%

Enigma^® = -50%

We are currently working with brewers and distributors alike to do all we can to help address the impact of these short deliveries.

Yields of varieties Cascade, Summer, Helga, Topaz, Ella and Super Pride were sufficient to largely meet contracts.

Growing conditions

It was a tough season for growing hops in Australia with the states of Victoria and Tasmania generally failing to meet yield expectations, albeit for different reasons.

In Victoria, at Rostrevor Hop Gardens, the growing season got away to a great start, however a “never seen before” hail storm which lasted just 15 minutes devastated most of the farm early in December. On average the hops were only half way to the wire and it was estimated that 70% of the young plants lost their growing tips, with some gardens completely destroyed.

After doing all that was possible to retrain new shoots, we issued a media release in mid-January estimating that Galaxy^®, Vic Secret, Ella and Topaz yields could be reduced by 40%. Whilst the weather during the following two months was actually quite good for plan development, the impact of the storm could not be overcome and the yield results came in as predicted.

In Tasmania, at Bushy Park Estates, spring produced some very high temperatures which supported vigorous plant development, however this unusually warm weather was broken with cold fronts delivering intermittent near-freezing temperatures, and difficult windy conditions. The impact on the different hop varieties was significant, with some varieties largely unaffected and growing normally, however in some varieties such as Galaxy^® this resulted in large areas flowering in November (rather than January) and in varieties such as Enigma^® the development of terminal burr which halted vegetative growth early.

Despite the difficult weather conditions, varieties such as Helga, Summer and Cascade produced yields that were above expectation, however varieties such as Galaxy^®, Vic Secret, Ella, Enigma^® and Topaz all suffered from the unseasonal conditions and in some areas the yields of the varieties were reduced by as much as 50%.

All up it was a disappointing result, with the brief storm in Victoria being largely responsible for the reduced yields.

Trends

On a slightly more positive note the upgrading of the Rostrevor Hop Gardens harvest facility has proceeded as planned with the installation of a new Dauenhauer picker, new kilning capacity and the construction of a new conditioning shed. This will be complimented with the installation of a second Dauenhauer picker during the approaching winter. This new facility will be ready to harvest expanded acreage which has been planted in a newly developed growing region in Victoria this year. In combination with new gardens built in Tasmania, we currently expect harvest 2017 to yield in the vicinity of 1,700 metric tonnes.

2013 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Sun, 05 May 2013 23:00:29 +0000

A hop harvest snapshot from Managing Director Tim Lord.

Harvest results

For crop 2013, the area harvested was 449 hectares, a decrease of just 3 hectares from crop 2012. With approximately 20% of our production area occupied by 1st year plantings the harvested area was a reflection of the fine growing season. A number of changes made to agronomic practices resulted in very strong growth of 1st year hops, some of which were harvested – a practice we have historically been avoided.

The area harvested, including 1st year hops, yielded 1,146 metric tonnes which is a small overall increase on the yield from crop 2012. Yields in Tasmania were at or above expectation and Victoria once again delivered a great crop, with some yields exceeding 4,000 kg/ha.

So overall, we harvested a slightly smaller area than crop 2012 and it yielded slightly more than crop 2012. A significant portion of the hop plants harvested this year were not yet mature and as such we had expected some correspondingly low yields. Due to a good growing season, and completion of all key farm activities on time, the Aussie crop yielded approximately 10% more hops than expected.

Growing conditions

A normal winter followed by a long hot summer set the scene for above average yields of most hop varieties this season. Winter is a critical time for ensuring that the perennial hop plant banks an adequate period of dormancy to ensure natures clock is correctly set for emergence in spring – and last winter did the job well!

Early hop growth was normal across our growing regions, which allowed for all pre-season activities such as stringing and training to be completed on schedule. Favourable conditions also supported a great start for the 85 hectares of baby hops planted in the spring and early summer.

Hop growth continued pretty much as expected with the only shortfall being rain. Average rainfall across the main growing season was approximately 73% of average at Rostrevor Hop Gardens in Victoria, whilst further south in Tasmania, Bushy Park Estates received just 48% of the average. The lack of rain did not present any hindrance to normal plant development with shortfalls compensated with ample irrigation.

The well above average temperatures experienced throughout the summer resulted in the country recording its highest recorded average summer temperatures across the continent. Whilst these conditions have been associated with lower than average alpha yields in the northern hemisphere the alpha acid results from crop 2013 were above average in both Tasmania and Victoria.

As the stable weather endured right through late summer and early autumn it set the scene for a calm and well considered harvest with plenty of time to decide exactly when each variety would be harvested to maximise quality.

Trends

We continue to pursue the development and expansion of hop varieties from our in-house breeding program. Having traditionally grown high alpha varieties primarily for bittering, we have spent the past five years propagating and planting new flavour hops to partially satisfy the exploding demand from global craft brewers.

Galaxy^® is perhaps the best known of the newer varieties and with a great yield from crop 2013 plans are already in place for production of this variety to again double over the coming seasons. Expansion plans are also well underway for Ella and Summer, and after a great review at Brau 2012 Topaz is increasingly supporting craft brews with its appealing floral notes and gentle touch of sweet fruits. Newcomer Vic Secret, characterised by resinous pine and pineapple notes, yielded very well and is now set to be launched globally. And by the time this article is printed some brewers will have tasted the next new Aussie flavour hop – Enigma^® – it’s not what you may expect!

2020 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:07:46 +0000

After more than a month of cutting, picking, drying, pressing, pelletising and packaging, the numbers are in. HPA harvested 631 hectares across our three farms in 2020, which resulted in a production volume of 1,554 metric tonnes. This was a 42 hectare (7.1%), 81 metric tonne (5.5%) increase year-on-year across six proprietary varieties – Ella, Enigma, Galaxy, HPA-016, Topaz and Vic Secret – as well as Cascade and Super Pride. Harvest commenced at the start of March and was completed by early April.

The 5.5% increase in overall production volume will allow us to meet all contractual obligations. Yield was a bit of a mixed bag this year. There were some individual performances that exceeded expectations, including notable increases in Galaxy and Topaz as well as a bumper crop of HPA-016 in its first year of commercialisation. We’re particularly looking forward to placing this in the hands of as many brewers as possible in the coming years. The rest of the varieties were down, but stayed within the normal range of variation. This was due to the conditions during the growing season rather than reductions in acreage.

Despite an increase in hectares planted and production volume, the highly contracted position of our 2020 crop means that a limited amount of hops will be available in the short-term. We are continuing to move forward with our Buffalo River Valley expansion to improve supply surety and increase varietal diversity.

2023 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 23:52:45 +0000

Hop Products Australia (HPA) have completed the 2023 hop harvest. We picked 847 hectares across Victoria and Tasmania, which resulted in 1,821 tonnes of hops. This was a 37 hectare (4.5%) net increase and a 164 tonne (9.9%) net increase year-on-year across six proprietary varieties – Eclipse^®, Ella, Enigma^®, Galaxy^®, Topaz and Vic Secret – as well as Cascade. This year’s oil content came in equal or above the 5-year average for all proprietary hops, with a particularly strong showing from Eclipse^® that should lead to an exceptional year of performance in beer.

The final hectares of our recent Victorian expansion are now reaching commercial maturity, but some plants were significantly impacted by a third consecutive La Niña weather pattern.. Despite the adverse conditions we were able to modify our calendar of inputs accordingly, with above average temperatures and below average rainfall in summer aiding cone maturation.

A portion of this year’s crop will be reserved for commissioning our new production facility in Victoria. The modern temperature-controlled pellet plant and form, fill and seal packaging line will produce in excess of 50 tonnes of pellets per day, which will allow us to double our current processing capacity while retaining a higher percentage of essential oils in the finished pellets at a lower average Hop Storage Index (HSI). This means brewers can expect an overall increase in quality and a reduced spread of analytical data across lots, which will translate to more consistent performance in beer.

HPA is focussed on a sustainable future of quality beer, completing the initial Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of our business to identify key areas and realistic targets to support the implementation of low emission practices that will improve our brewing customers indirect emissions moving forward.

Even though the hop and brewing world seems to be going through a realignment of supply and demand, the outlook for Aussie hops remains strong and crop 2023 is heavily contracted. Brewers are encouraged to proactively communicate their Aussie hop requirements to our sales team, and enter into rolling forward contracts for supply security.

2024 Crop Report

Pixel3 — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 22:31:03 +0000

Hop Products Australia (HPA) have completed this year’s harvest. We picked 670 hectares across Victoria and Tasmania, which resulted in 1,340 tonnes of hops. This was a 177 hectare (21%) decrease and a 480 tonne (26%) decrease year-on-year across six proprietary varieties – Eclipse^®, Ella, Enigma^®, Galaxy^®, Topaz and Vic Secret – as well as Cascade. This year’s oil content came in equal or above the 5-year average for all proprietary hops, with a particularly strong showing from Galaxy^® that should lead to a great year of performance in beer.

Crop 2024 looks a little different to previous years because of some changes to global demand. This led HPA to idle around 20% of our gardens, resulting in a year-on-year decrease across all proprietary hops. In the current state of global oversupply, this was a necessary step toward rebalancing supply and demand.

We have used this production decrease as an opportunity to focus on quality, with greater flexibility to refine our standard operating procedures and harvest each variety at optimal maturity. Impact in beer is expected to remain strong, with this year’s average oil content coming in equal or above the 5-year average for all proprietary hops. The two star performers were Galaxy^® and Enigma^® with both oils and alphas above the 5-year average, ensuring good quality pellets that should deliver a great year of true-to-type flavours and aromas in beer.

HPA continue to invest in quality improvements. As is the case with most building projects, our new Victorian pellet plant took longer than expected to get up and running. It was not commissioned in time to process crop 2024 as planned, but we were prepared for this possibility. Instead, crop 2024 was processed at our existing Victorian pellet plant which was maintained in a state of readiness for this eventuality.

We have also been tightening our minimum quality standards over the past few years, conducting a sensory review of any material flagged as non-conforming at any stage of the production process. If subsequent data analysis reported a significantly lower alpha and oil content, or a significantly higher HSI this material was subject to assessment for potential faults and true-to-type aromas. This process ensures only great material goes into our blends, and consistently high-quality pellets are presented to our brewing customers.

HPA is in awe of the resilience our industry has shown over the past few years. We are managing our production costs to minimise any effect on hop pricing, while continuing to invest in technology, infrastructure and process improvements that will ultimately benefit our brewing customers. In the current state of global oversupply, availability of Aussie hops is better than ever. As supply and demand returns to balance, we encourage our brewing customers to consider their Aussie hop requirements, and communicate them early and often.

2025 Crop Report

jAmieaDMin27 — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 04:59:33 +0000

Hop Products Australia (HPA) have completed this year’s harvest. We picked 566 hectares across Victoria and Tasmania, which resulted in 1,468 tonnes of hops. This was a 128 tonne (9.5%) increase despite a 104 hectare (15.5%) decrease across six proprietary hops – Eclipse^®, Ella, Enigma^®, Galaxy^®, Topaz and Vic Secret – as well as Cascade. The bumper crop is thanks to some near-perfect weather conditions that allowed us to run farm operations as planned, resulting in a great foundation for HPA Hop Central’s first year of production.

Global demand for hops remains soft in the current oversupply situation, with many brewers still working through a backlog of previous crop years. This led HPA to idle 32% of our gardens. We used this production decrease as an opportunity to focus on soil remediation, cover cropping, cycling rootstock, and scaling up leading experimental hops in our breeding program.

Impact in beer is expected to remain strong, with this year’s average oil content coming in slightly below or equal to the 5-year average for most proprietary hops. The star performer this year was Ella, with both oils and alphas above the 5-year average, which should deliver a real depth of flavour and complexity when paired with other new world hops. Eclipse^®, Galaxy^® and Vic Secret all experienced a slight decrease in alphas, and are expected to produce some well-balanced beers with true-to-type flavours and aromas.

HPA’s mission is to deliver the highest possible quality, with the lowest possible flavour variability. For the past two crop years we have worked alongside our sister company John I. Haas to exclude material that is not true-to-type from our blends, which are based on the whole-crop averages for oils, alphas, moisture and HSI.

Commissioning Hop Central has set an even higher standard, harnessing cold chain bale storage, temperature-controlled production rooms, and modern pelleting and packaging equipment. It is a highly efficient operation that has reduced processing time, retained a higher percentage of oils in the finished product, and minimised residual oxygen in the final packaging.

Our entire industry, from growers and suppliers to brewers, is facing countless challenges because of unfavourable bureaucratic, economic and environmental conditions. It is more important than ever for HPA to work in partnership with our brewing customers. Communicating early and often is the best way to ensure we have your needs covered, whether that be availability of proprietary hops for core range beers, commercialising experimental hops for flavour diversity, or innovative hop products for more sustainable beverages. We are here to help our brewing customers create awesome flavours that bring hoppiness to beer lovers everywhere.