A hop harvest in 1957. The plants are very particular about the weather, but can be a lucrative crop TIMES NEWSPAPERSBritish hop growers may enjoy a good harvest this year thanks to a fairly benign growing season of warm, wet weather in the south of England, which is home to most British hop farms. In contrast, growing conditions in Europe have been disastrous, and especially in Germany where an intensely hot and dry summer could slash farmers’ yields by up to 25 per cent. Germany is the biggest grower and exporter of hops, producing about a third of the global supply, so any shortfall there could raise hop prices to the benefit of British growers. Hops are a difficult crop to grow, because the plants are highly sensitive to the weather.

Source: The Times August 03, 2017 23:03 UTC