Craft Beer Demands, Mean More Hops Crops

The Problem

An explosion in craft beer consumption set a new target for Hops Products Australia, their aim was to increase production by 50% from 2015 to 2018. A new processing plant was to be established near Myrtleford in North Eastern Victoria and 230 hectares of new hop gardens were to be established in the Derwent Valley in Tasmania.

Hops crops are grown on a trellising system, using 5.5 metre high treated timber posts, with a piece of biodegradable coconut fibre tied to a crossway wire cable. The hops grow up the string and onto the wire.

Allan Monshing, the farm manager said, “They can be quite heavy (the crop). For example one of our new varieties, Galaxy, produces 3000 kilos per hectare, so that does put some strain on the wire.

Mr Monshing was having issues with the large cost of repairs on replacing the rot or split posts, and wire continually rusting. “We also use overhead irrigation in summer to keep the canopy nice and cool so that adds a lot of weight as well as pressure so far as rust goes, as it is constantly wet.”

 The Solution

The new trellising system in Tasmania was built using Waratah’s 3.15mm Longlife^® Growire^®. The Longlife^® coating on the wire will last 9 times longer than standard galvanised and 1.5 times longer than heavy galvanised. The 3.15mm trellis wire is our strongest trellis wire and is ideally suited to withstand heavy loads, such as the 3000 kilos per hectare that Hops Products Australia produces.

Mr Monshing said, “The 3.15 Longlife Growire really does last the distance for us, improving our efficiencies when it comes to maintenance and repairs, and obviously in supporting the hops as they grow.”