News

An urgent excursion to her hoppy homeland shows Alice Neville why brewers and beer drinkers the world over seek out Nelson’s pungent bounty.

Local human resources, recruitment and business consulting services Agency, Intepeople, recently interviewed Craig Orr as part of their ‘Leading Through COVID-19 interview series’.

Article from Brews News Australia:

New Zealand Hops has recorded a record harvest for the 2020 growing year, though it has expressed concern about the likely impact of COVID-19 on sales.

The co-operative reports its members harvested 1,231,936 kilograms of hops, up 18% on last year. It said the increase was largely due to an increased yield per hectare.

“We also enjoyed a hot and dry summer here in Tasman providing excellent conditions for harvest which began in late February and ended earlier this month,” the report said.

We are so pleased to share with you all, 2020 has been a record crop! We harvested 1,231,936 kilograms of hops, a whopping 18% on last year. This was largely due to an increased yield per hectare, fantastic reward for our highly experienced Co-op growers who have worked long and hard on their farms, to maximise their growing conditions. We also enjoyed a hot and dry summer here in Tasman providing excellent conditions for harvest which began in late February and ended earlier this month.

The timing of the lockdown has caused minimal strife for the only region commercially growing hops in New Zealand.

Chief executive Craig Orr said the industry had been somewhat fortunate that the March 26 lockdown had occurred at the back end of the 2020 harvest.