Hop Products Australia (HPA), a major player in the Australian hop industry and a key supplier of craft brewing hops, has announced the completion of its 2025 harvest, yielding 1,468 tonnes of high-quality hops across its Victoria and Tasmania farms.

This represents a 128 tonne or 9.5% increase in production compared to the previous year, despite a 15.5% reduction in the area harvested for key proprietary hop varieties Eclipse®, Ella™, Enigma®, Galaxy®, Topaz™ and Vic Secret™, as well as Cascade.

In their HPA 2025 Crop Report the company attributes this impressive output of premium hops to “near-perfect” weather conditions from the El Niño climate patern that allowed for optimal farm operations. A dry, cold winter facilitated ideal dormancy for the hop plants, followed by a wet and hot summer that spurred rapid growth and an abundance of flowering sites.

However, this surge in hop production occurs within a complex global context. Hop Products Australia acknowledges the “soft” global demand for hops due to an oversupply in the market, which has led them to idle 32% of their gardens. HPA’s Owen Johnston, who was recently appointed CEO, said “This production decrease allowed us to extend our focus to sustainability initiatives including soil remediation, cover cropping, cycling aging rootstock, and scaling up leading experimental hops in our breeding program for commercial brewing trials.”

Ella™ Leads the Way in Hop Quality

While overall hop production increased, the performance of individual hop varieties varied. Ella™ stood out as the star performer among the Australian hop varieties, boasting oil and alpha content above the 5-year average.

HPA suggests that brewers can expect “a real depth of flavour and complexity” when using Ella™ in combination with other new-world hops. In contrast, Eclipse®, Galaxy®, and Vic Secret™ experienced a slight decrease in alpha content, though they are still expected to deliver well-balanced beers with characteristic flavors and aromas.

Focus on Quality and Consistency for Brewers

HPA emphasizes its commitment to delivering the highest possible quality and minimizing flavor variability in its hop pellets, ensuring consistency for brewers seeking reliable hop aromas and hop flavor. A key development in achieving this goal is the commissioning of “Hop Central,” HPA’s new processing facility.

This state-of-the-art facility features cold chain bale storage, temperature-controlled production rooms, and modern pelleting and packaging equipment. The new facility has significantly reduced processing time, maximized oil retention in pellets, and minimized oxygen in packaging, all contributing to a more consistent impact in beer made with their hops.

Innovation and Sustainability in Hop Farming

Beyond optimizing its existing hop varieties, HPA is also looking towards the future with the development of new experimental hops. The company produced one hectare plots of three leading experimental hops – HPA-033, HPA-065, and HPA-4029 – in 2025, with plans to commercialize one in the coming years.

HPA-003 is a versatile hop that produces creamy mango, marmalade and raspberry flavours that are perfect for XPA’s and Pale Ale’s. HPA-065 is a complex hop that delivers spicy pineapple, ginger and lime flavours that are great for hoppy Lagers or Pilsners. Finally, HPA-4029 is a layering hop that should be used delicately to create strong tropical fruit punch flavours in everything from New World Lagers and West Coast Pilsners to Hazy Pale Ales.

These new varieties will help expand the diversity of Australian-grown hops for the brewing industry and offering exciting new options for craft brewers.

HPA is also prioritizing sustainability in its hop operations. The company is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and has conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure its carbon footprint. Additionally, HPA has invested in water management by constructing a second 300-megalitre dam to mitigate the risk of drought in its hop farming. This focus on sustainable hop farming is increasingly important to brewers and consumers alike.

Collaboration and Challenges in the Hop Industry

In a recent press release on their 2025 hop crop HPA highlighted the importance of collaboration between HPA and its brewing customers. The company hosted numerous local and international brewers during the hop harvest, fostering knowledge sharing and partnerships.

However, HPA acknowledges the challenges facing the entire hop industry, including “unfavourable bureaucratic, economic, and environmental conditions”. In this context, the company emphasizes the importance of communication and partnership to ensure brewers’ needs are met and to drive innovation in the face of these challenges in the hop market.

Mr Johnston noted “It’s more important than ever for HPA to work in partnership with our brewing customers. Communicating early and often is the best way to ensure we have your needs covered, whether that be availability of proprietary hops for core range beers, commercialising experimental hops for flavour diversity, or innovative hop products for more sustainable beverages. HPA stands ready to help brewers create awesome flavours that bring hoppiness to beer lovers everywhere.”