Lack of rain could bring a less than bitter harvest

According to Reuter’s News Agency, Europe has been experiencing its worst drought for 500 years. Now whilst Reuter’s are a highly respected news organisation, that have been around for a long time, I’m not quite sure where they got their figures from, as 500 years ago, takes us back to the year 1522. The question that has to be asked, is how accurate were rainfall measurements back in the 16^th Century, that’s if rainfall levels were even being recorded back then. The other point to consider regards Europe itself. Not only is it a substantial landmass, it’s a continent in its own right, so whilst journalists seem to love generalisations, Reuter’s statement does need taking with several pinches of salt.

That’s my little gripe over, and whilst I do get annoyed by sensationalist reporting, there is no escaping the fact that the lack of rainfall during the spring and summer of 2022 is a cause for serious concern. Forget hosepipe bans, as that is just closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, reservoir levels across the country are at rock bottom levels, and by implication they are across Europe as well.

Lack of rainfall has an adverse effect on crop yields, and this coupled with the ongoing war in Ukraine, is impacting heavily on the world’s grain reserves. I’m not sure whether this affects stocks of malting barley as much as it does wheat, but one commodity the current drought is having a massive effect on, are hop yields across the continent.

Proof of this comes from an acquaintance who works for a hop factoring company.  Apparently, the Czech hop harvest is looking at a 50% reduction, whilst Germany is forecasting a 25-30% fall. Figures for the UK hop harvest are not currently available, but several growers have posted photos of bines that are not looking particularly great. However, as my contact from the world of hops pointed out, last year’s UK harvest amounted to 900 tonnes, whereas the Czech total was 8,000 tonnes. Do the math, as the Americans would say, and Czechia’s potential loss this year is 4-5 times the entire UK harvest!

I will probably know more about conditions out in the field this coming Friday, as I am due to visit Hukins Hops at, at their farm near St Michael's, just outside Tenterden, in the heart of the Kentish Weald. Earlier in the year I received an invite, to try my hand at hop picking, but had almost forgotten about it until I received a text reminder on Monday.

I’m not quite sure how the invitation came about, as it was either through my membership of the British Guild of Beer Writers, or because I was introduced to Ross Hukins, when I did some beer judging at the Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival, several years ago. Whatever the reason I’m looking forward to my visiting the family farm, in a couple of days’ time. Full report to follow, in due course.