Integral assessment of the competitiveness of the domestic hop growing

Abstract

Goal. To assess the current state of the industry of hop growing in Ukraine and to identify the areas of stabilization of the industry for the production of competitive and quality products. Methods. Monographic, economic-statistical, analysis and synthesis, analogies, and comparisons. Methodological and information basis of research are scientific works of domestic and foreign researchers, the results of their research, Internet-resources, and analytical materials on the functioning of hop growing in Ukraine. Results. The state is analyzed of the hop industry of Ukraine for 2008–2019. In 2019 the square of hop plantings in Ukraine amounted to 420 hectares, gross yield of a hop — 600 tons at a crop yield of 1.6 t/ha. Zhytomyr region takes the leading place in the planted areas (74%) and gross yield of hop (83%). During this period, the number of hop growing farms decreased from 59 to 19, or 3.1 times. Domestic brewing industry produced 18 million hectoliters of beer at own production of 30 tons of alpha-acids (the need id 105 tons). Now the state of the domestic hop growing industry requires urgent measures for its adaptation to market conditions because the growth areas and the gross yield of hop still do not allow to fully ensure its demand of the brewing industry. Ukraine has the opportunity to develop an industrial complex of hop growing, and to raise the required amount of hop raw material of excellent quality to meet our own needs and to form export potential. Conclusions. To improve the efficiency of the industry of hop growing it is needed to improve the varietal structure of hop plantings, to withdraw from the circulation of mixtures of varieties, to accelerate the selection of competitive varieties, which according to expert estimates of scientists and brewers deserve priority implementation and budget funding; to restore the mechanism of state support of hop growing; to use modern marketing techniques; to form market infrastructure, and to strengthen integration processes in the industry of hop growing.