QUALITY INDICATORS OF RAW HOP MATERIALS
Market relations impose stringent requirements on the quality of raw hop materials and guaranteed supply volumes. The authors have analyzed the world experience, which indicates that in the hop-growing industry there are tendencies of transition to innovative resource-saving technologies, allowing not only to increase the efficiency of hop production, but also to improve the quality of the produced raw materials. The quality of raw hop materials is a decisive criterion in hop production and processing at all stages of the production process. The paper discusses issues aimed at obtaining high-quality hop products. The authors have determined technological, economic and environmental indicators of the hop quality, as well as the quality estimation criterion - the content of alpha-acid. The paper presents calculation formulas for determining the gross yield of alpha-acid, the cost of one centner, the increase in production, profits and economic efficiency as a result of improving the quality of raw hop materials. It is noted that the use of innovative resource-saving technologies will improve the quality of hop products, and increase the economic efficiency of hop production. It is recommended to hop producers to constantly conduct hop market research, introduce modern innovative production methods and processing technologies; and produce hop raw materials of different marketability taking into account the quality criteria and indicators.