The Standing Senate Commission on Rural Development did not miss the start of the hop harvest. The group of senators including a head of the Commission Mr. Miroslav Nenutil and Ms. Zdenka Hamousova, senator and Mayor of the Royal Town of Saaz, visited our region at the begining of the harvest. Zdenek Rosa, the chairman of Chmelarstvi, guided them through Chmelarstvi, cooperative Zatec, The Beer and Hop Temple, PP Servis, Steknik Castle and hop farm of Emil Bures Hopservis. Senators could learn more about the harvest equipment, processing,storing and verifying the authencity of hops.
The information from the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture (UKZUZ – the main certification authority for hops which is a part of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic) that we received this week regarding a change in the graphic form of the Certificate for a certified product (ie. for hops and hop products).
With these changes the graphic of the certificate was changed but at the same time all information remain there (information on variety, crop year, region, type of product, identification numbers plus reference numbers that connect the certificate to further documents such as the weight list or labels on the hop products). We are also glad that the historical hop graphics are still a part of the new certificate.
If required the hop trading companies can apart from the electronic version still ask for a paper version (in the new format) that can be signed and stamped. Otherwise all communication (certificates, weight list will now be only available in an electronic version with a digital signature).
This change is valid from August 15th 2019.
Enclosed please see samples (in Czech language VZOR (Example)) of the new certificates that will be going with all Czech hop products from now on.
Anatolij Choťko, Belorussian Minister of Agriculture, led a delegation that visited headquaters of Bohemia Hop and Chmnelarstvi, cooperative. The Minister was very interested in a Czehc hop industry and asked many questions related to the cultivating, processing and trading hops. Apart from a visit of a processing plant and cold storage, there was an open discussion focused on business and scientific cooperation.
The Hopman Team run the last week in June 2019 the Vineyard Marathon Race in Alsace, France. Bohemia Hop as a traditional partner and sponsor participates in a local races organized regularly by the Team of Hopman - April Half-Marathon and 10 km race, May duathlon, July triathlon, October aquathlon and Advent run race in a Royal Town of Saaz (ŽATEC). All races attract many runners and athlets from the Czech Republic including teams of Bohemia Hop, CHMELAŘSTVÍ, Hop Research Institue and Czech hop growers.
On the occasion of the Vineyard Marathon Race, all members of the Hopman Team wore the Crown of Hops from Bohemia Hop and thus expressed a tradition and importance of Saaz hops for our region.
Mr. Ikuya Yoshida, the vice president of Sapporo Brewery, visited our Royal Town of Saaz on May 23, 2019. Apart from his official program, he found a time in his tigth schedule to visit the „U Orloje“ brewery belonging to the Hop and Beer Temple.
His official program included also a visit of Chmelarstvi, cooperative Zatec. Mr. Yoshida accompanied by Mr. Nokura and Mr. Hejduk from EAT was carefully listening the information about current trends on the field of growing hops. Mr. Yoshida focused his quetions on an irrigation and breeding hops. Mr. Yoshida was very interested as well in a process of hop certification and a key role of CISTA during verifying Czech hops.
