Washington hop crop a little too big

TRI-CITIES, Wash. — The hops crop in Washington this year is big — a little too big. Some farmers told The Tri-Cities Herald they’re leaving part of their crop on the vine because the September harvest has already filled contracts with buyers. Washington Hop Commission administrator Ann George says an excessive number of acres were planted in response to a hop shortage in 2007. She says the recession caused a drop in beer consumption and the amount of hops brewers needed. Earlier this year the National Agricultural Statistics Service expected about 30,000 acres of hops to be harvested in Washington. The state produces about 75 percent of the nation’s hops, primarily in Yakima and Benton counties.