Hamburg — Late summer rain has saved Germany’s hop crop, meaning brewers should now have enough of the key beer ingredient, the head of German-US global hops trader Barth Haas Group has said. Brewers in Europe, Asia and Africa rely heavily on German hops and there had been concerns of shortages amid growing demand due to the widespread popularity of craft beers and a lack of stockpiles. "The harvest in Germany was only about seven days away from disaster because of dry weather in June and July," said Stephan Barth, managing partner of Barth Haas. Germany was the second-largest producer and provided 75% of the world’s hop supplies with the US, where the harvest was looking slightly above average, Barth said. "Rain in August meant we were saved by the bell and I expect an average German crop," he said. With US crops there would be "sufficient market supply" although prices would remain high. Hops are one of the main ingredients of beer with water, malt and yeast. Germany and the US bo...
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