Hops in the law: what the parliament’s decision promises to producers and consumers
28 March 10:56
The day before, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law on hops and hop products (No. 9234-d) by 282 votes. This is reported on the parliament’s website, Komersant ukrainskyi informs.
The law regulates the peculiarities of the industry’s functioning, harmonizes the basic principles and requirements for the cultivation, production, processing, labeling, and certification of hops and hop products with the standards of the European Union.
The provisions of the law define
– general requirements for the certification of hops (hop products);
– requirements for certification centers and the procedure for their inclusion in the Register of Certification Centers;
– the procedure for the competent authority to control the activities of certification centers;
– peculiarities of labeling of hops (hop products) and the procedure for official supervision of this process;
– content of certificates of hops and hop products;
– procedure and specifics of preparation, processing and mixing of hops;
– requirements for the import (shipment) of hops and hop products.
The law also regulates the procedure for state control and prosecution for violation of legislation in the field of hops and hop products.
In addition, the law provides for amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Information for Consumers on Food Products” in terms of expanding the names of food categories and their designations.
What is the current state of the hop industry in Ukraine?
By the 2000s, global hop production reached 120 thousand tons, of which Ukraine’s share was 4%. Today, Ukraine’s share of the global market for raw hops is only 0.5%.
Over the past 30 years, the area under hop cultivation has decreased from 7.4 thousand hectares (1990) to 0.4 thousand hectares (2019), i.e. 18.5 times, and the production of alpha acids is only 20-22 tons. This volume covers only 20% of the breweries’ needs, the rest is imported.
Since 2012, hops have been grown in Ukraine in only four regions, although in 2004-2005 there were 9 hop-producing regions. Hop farming disappeared in Chernihiv, Kyiv, and then Luhansk, Volyn, and Vinnytsia regions. And the number of operating farms decreased from 60 to 19.
Opportunities to export hops to the EU were severely limited by the inconsistency of Ukrainian legislation in terms of verifying compliance with minimum market requirements for hops (hop products).
The new law should fill this gap and help to significantly improve the situation in terms of the quality of raw materials and processing of hops, which will facilitate the export of Ukrainian products to foreign markets.
What you should know about hops
Hops are a perennial crop from the hemp family that can be grown for 8-15 years in one field.
In Ukraine, the Polissya region is the most promising for growing hops. In particular, 75% of Ukraine’s hop acreage is concentrated in the Zhytomyr region alone. This data was provided by the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration, justifying it with a favorable geographical location and favorable soil and climatic conditions.
Hops grow well in areas up to 60° north latitude, with a moderately warm and humid climate. There are farms in the region that grow hops on areas ranging from 10 to 60 hectares.
Before the full-scale war, the average price of 1 ton of exported hops (in the form of pellets) was $10-11 thousand, now it is €15-16. The price on the domestic market is about €8 thousand. With an average yield of 2 tons per hectare, growing hops sounds like an attractive idea. However, to start a hop farm, you need a lot of investment. First of all, funds are needed to build trellises, as hops are a climbing plant, and to purchase planting material.
Hops are a delicate crop that requires timely harvesting. When the cones are overripe, lupulin grains fall out of them, which leads to a loss of raw material quality.
Where hops and their products are used
Hops are widely used in the paper industry, yarn production, cooking, and brewing. It is well known as a medicinal plant and a proven cosmetic product. Hop cones are especially effective for hair maintenance.
Hops are one of the four main ingredients in any carfthouse beer. Most of its flavor is due to this plant, not to mention the characteristic bitterness that everyone loves. According to experts, the composition and quality of hops has a decisive impact on the quality of the beer produced from them.
