USDA’s Hop Acreage Report Shows Double-Digit Increase

According to the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service, Northwest hop growers strung a little more than 51,000 acres of hops in 2016, a 17 percent increase over 2015.

Washington, the largest hop growing state in the country, led the way with about 37,500 acres while Oregon strung 7,700 acres and Idaho just short of 6,000 acres.

NASS also says that the crop looks good with normal pest pressure, but erratic weather conditions have led to some disease pressure from powdery mildew and downy.

Washington’s most popular variety was Cascade with more than 5,000 acres, while Oregon growers planted Nugget the most at 1,400 acres.

If realized, this would be a record hop crop for the Northwest.

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