Dan Wheat/Capital Press
A worker fastens trellis wire to poles about 15 feet above the ground for a new hop planting at a farm between Prosser and Benton City last March. The planting was postponed because of drought. Fields like this will be planted this year.
Germany usually leads the United States as the world’s top hop producer, but drought switch that around in 2015.
MOXEE, Wash. — For only the third time in the past 10 years, the United States bested Germany to lead the world in hop production last year, according to a final 2015 report by Hop Growers of America in Moxee.
The U.S. — overwhelmingly Washington, Oregon and Idaho — produced 80.2 million pounds of hops which was 42 percent of the world production, compared to Germany at 62.2 million pounds and 33 percent, according to the report.
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