00:02The heat and the drought have taken a heavy toll on hop farmers in Germany and Austria,
00:08some of the world's largest producers, causing crop losses and smaller hop cones.
00:13This flower is one of beer's key ingredients and is responsible for its bitterness and a large part of its
00:20aroma.
00:20The extent of this year's drought's impact on prices and production cannot yet be said with certainty.
00:26Alongside the volume harvested, factors such as existing stocks, long-term supply contracts and the development of cultivated areas also
00:36play a role.
00:37The sector increasingly has to grapple with the question of how to grow its raw materials under drier conditions with
00:43the launch of larger irrigation projects.
00:46Another key raw material is also suffering from the drier conditions, barley.
00:51Hence, some farmers and breweries are looking to replace spring barley with another variety consuming less water, winter barley.
00:59So far, there have been no warnings of a shortage of beer at this year's Oktoberfest, which is set to
01:04kick off on Saturday in Munich.
01:06Thanks for fighting.
01:09Somebody was barrened!
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