Hops Crisis in Germany

Germany's hop fields are currently shrinking dramatically: The reason is a massive oversupply, which has pushed prices for this key ingredient in beer to a historic low, putting many farmers in an economic bind. The aromatic varieties Perle and Hallertau Tradition are particularly affected, as Erich Lehmair, Managing Director of the German Hop Growers' Association, explained to the German Press Agency (dpa ). "One Euro per kilo is a tenth of what we got a year ago," he explains. This means that currently, the price of hops is significantly lower than its production cost.