PNW Crop Report: July 2019

It’s July in the Pacific Northwest and it’s hard to believe that harvest will begin next month.  Overall baby yields are expected to be down due to late snow cover in March in Washington that prevented growers from digging roots and delayed planting beyond normal target dates.  The mature yards are off to a good start and although there are several weeks of development ahead, expectations are high for a good crop.

The USDA acreage report was released recently showing a net increase of 2,304 acres of hops in the PNW as growers adjust their acreage to meet demand.  Although the baby Citra® crop will be adversely affected by the late planting, an additional 2,650 acres were planted to satisfy demand from brewers making hop-forward beers.  Mosaic® acreage increased by almost 1,500 acres.

To make room for the expansion of Citra®, Mosaic® and other hop varieties increasing in demand, almost 1,000 acres of Centennial came out of the ground.  Cascade acreage declined almost 900 acres and Chinook acreage experienced a 450-acre reduction.

In Oregon, the late winter and delayed snow melt-off caused early season flooding in hop yards located near the Willamette River and tributaries.   Several yards were underwater during this time, but have recovered and yields are expected to be normal on most varieties.  Disease and pest pressure are manageable on most Oregon hop farms.

Despite snow being on the ground as late as March 20, mature yards in Washington look good as most have reached the wire as bloom season begins.  Most baby yards are well behind normal and yields are expected to be down across the board.

Idaho was not affected by the late spring snow cover, but some babies are a bit behind due to the late season conditions in Washington delaying root digging.  Overall the crop looks good with pest pressure manageable and growth good for this time of the year.

As the season progresses, we’ll have more detailed information regarding baby yields, weather conditions, and pest pressure.