YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — A thirst for craft beer helped hop growers produce their largest crop of hops in five years.
A new report from the Hop Growers of America also shows a 10 percent increase in acres harvested between 2013 and 2014.
The Herald-Republic says the Yakima Valley produces about 77 percent of the nation's hops.
In 2014, nearly 29,000 acres of hops were harvested in Washington state, representing about three-fourths of the country's total.
In Oregon, about 5,400 acres were harvested last year, up about 12 percent from 2013.
Idaho also saw a 12 percent increase in acres of hops harvested.
The country's crop was worth about $272 million. Growers fetched an average price of $3.83 per pound, the highest since 2008.
