Central Institute of Supervising and Testing, department of hop in Zatec (ÚKZÚZ, manager Mr. Vladimir Barborka) provided definitive data for harvest in 2009.

Total 6615,7 mt (2008 - 6759,2; 2007 – 5630,6) hops was harvested in Czech Republic in 2009. It is average yield 1,25 mt per hectar. (2008 – 1,27)

Traditionally like each year was edited international publication Český chmel – Czech hops. This publication has been officially published at fair Drinktec in Munich last week. As is well known by many studies and response on the world confirmed Czech hop is a sign of quality and finally superiority as evidence by both the czech hops districts by law No. 97/1996 and particular „Žatecký poloraný červeňák“ minutes to the list protected Designation of origin by Regulation No. 503/2007. This publication is published by the Ministry of Agiculure of Czech Republic in cooperation with the Hop Growers Union. Editor-in-chief is Mgr.Zdeněk Rosa, BA. that already the introduction captures the uniqueness of Czech hops and its rich history. Further, he deals with overview of information that reader can find.

Presented by the HOP GROWERS UNION OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN ZATEC ON SEPTEMBER 4^TH 2009

          THE 2009 HOP HARVEST IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

According to the data of the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture the total harvested acreage in the Czech Republic was 5307 ha, which means a decrease of 28 ha compared to the year 2008. Variety SAAZ remains the main variety grown on the 87,18 % of the total acreage. New hop plants were planted on the acreage of 257ha, i.e. 4,84 %, mostly in the Saaz hop growing region (199 ha), Auscha hop growing region (33 ha) and Tirschitz hop growing region (25 ha).

Czech hop acreage without major changes

The total hop acreage in the Czech Republic stays at the 2008 level. Further slight decrease is recorded only with the Saaz variety especially in the Saaz hop growing region. According to the information of the Central Institute for Testing and Supervising in Agriculture the total acreage on 30^th April 2009 was 5305 ha.

In comparison to the harvested acreage in 2008 this means a reduction of 30 ha. Saaz variety accounts for the majority of the acreage with 4627 ha (decrease of 111 ha), variety Premiat accounts for 239 ha (increase of 26 ha) and variety Sladek accounts for 275 ha (increase of 36 ha). There was also an increase of the Agnus variety by 6 ha to a total of 58 ha.