Hops return to Tonganah

By Daisy Baker
December 22, 2021

Tonganah is once again home to hops, after a 12-year hiatus.

Edwards Hops bought the Maryvale property in 2018, complementing the family’s existing hop farm in Branxholm. 

Owner and manager Clint Edwards said it has taken the past three years to get the property ready to grow hops again.

This is their first season growing at Tonganah.

They have installed 4,500 poles and three irrigation mains, which will complement some of the original underground irrigation line that remained. 

Twenty-hectares of hops were planted which will be harvested in March.

“Because it’s our first year harvesting, our expectations are maybe 50 per cent. So we’ll expect anywhere between 15-30 tonnes,” he said.

“Once we get to full production we should be getting 130-150 tonnes across both sites.

“We will start our harvest in the second week in March, a little earlier than usual because we’re going in blind.”

Mr Edwards said last season growing conditions were fantastic. 

“This season is going okay. We’ve had some good rain, but rain at regular intervals would be good.”

Planting began before Covid hit, when demand for hops among Australian beer companies was high. 

“Hops demand is okay but you wouldn’t be too optimistic. You don’t know what the breweries have had to deal with over the last couple of years,” Mr Edwards said.

Long-term contracts provide some security for the business, however, and they act as contract growers for two bigger hop farms in Australia, supplying hops right around Australia and some overseas.

Come harvest time, around 45 locals will be required to work across the Branxholm and Tonganah sites.

With works now complete at the Maryvale hop field, Mr Edwards said the next task will be boosting the production facility at Branxholm to meet the increased processing demand.

They have contracted Bison to build a new shed next year and looking ahead to 2023, the existing kiln, built in 1980, will be replaced. 

Trailers are being built to transport the harvested hops from Tonganah to the kiln at Branxholm, a trip timed at around 15 minutes.