After a decade of an oversupply of hops, many farmers were forced to abandon the crop. Between 1995 and 2006, acreage dropped by 30 percent in the United States, where one-quarter of the world’s hops are grown. Adding to the problem is Australia’s worst drought on record last year, hail storms damaging European crops and heat damage in the western U.S. The increasing demand for ethanol has seen many farmers switch from other ‘beer’ crops such as barley and wheat to corn, pushing up prices for those crops. With the ever-increasing price of fuel, aluminum and glass, and the higher cost of barley and wheat, the shortage of hops is making it more difficult than ever for breweries to keep their costs down.
Scott brings more than 20 years of experience in the television industry to What Ales Ya, having produced more than 400 hours of television programming and having been the post-production director on more than 450 hours. He has worked in various types of television programming from sports to news to music and entertainment as an Editor, Director, Line Producer and Producer. As an interviewer, he has questioned such music stars as Blur, Ben Harper, Loreena McKennitt and Great Big Sea, to name a few. Scott has produced and directed numerous music videos and also directed a series of Bessie Award-winning commercials for Roots Canada.
After a decade of an oversupply of hops, many farmers were forced to abandon the crop. Between 1995 and 2006, acreage dropped by 30 percent in the United States, where one-quarter of the world’s hops are grown. Adding to the problem is Australia’s worst drought on record last year, hail storms damaging European crops and heat damage in the western U.S. The increasing demand for ethanol has seen many farmers switch from other ‘beer’ crops such as barley and wheat to corn, pushing up prices for those crops. With the ever-increasing price of fuel, aluminum and glass, and the higher cost of barley and wheat, the shortage of hops is making it more difficult than ever for breweries to keep their costs down.