Washington, Oregon and Idaho produced more hops this year than last, even as farmers harvested fewer acres.
In its annual year-end summary, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the three states produced 104 million pounds of hops, a two percent increase over 2022.
The higher yield came despite harvested acres shrinking by ten percent since last year. The International Hop Growers Convention attributed the improvement to increased planting of more productive hop varieties.
Among the three states, Washington was tops, producing 74 percent of the hops grown in the nation this year. Sixteen percent came from Idaho, and Oregon supplied 10 percent.
The hops grown on Northwest farms end up in beers all over the United States, and are exported internationally. The top customers for Northwest hops in 2022 were Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil, according to the Hop Growers Association.
The 104 million pounds of hops harvested in the Northwest this year was higher than last year’s yield, and matched 2020’s total. But the haul fell short of 2021, when the trio of states produced nearly 116 million pounds.
While farm yields were up in 2023, commodity prices for hops were down. Washington-grown hops sold for $5.30 a pound, a drop from $6.05 last year. Per pound, Idaho hops sold for $5.40 and those grown in Oregon went for $6.15. The USDA reported the total value of hops grown in the United States was $562 million, down nine percent from 2022 and 15 percent lower than in 2021.
