The results of the Czech hop harvest are disastrous—full stop.
Farmers in Washington, who grow more than 70 percent of hops in the United States, expect their yield to be 10 to 15 percent below average. The official crop estimate in Germany, released at the outset of harvest, indicated that production would be 18 percent less than normal. The implications are not as catastrophic as in Czechia.
However, the short-term outlook for the supply of some hop varieties looks much different than it did at the beginning of August. That shift is yet another reminder that planning for the long-term means adapting to climate change.