YAKIMA, Wash. – Representative Dan Newhouse met with beer industry leaders in Yakima to discuss the influence of federal policy on hop growers both locally and nationally.
The meeting was attended by representatives from three major hops companies in the Yakima Valley. It was moderated by the Beer Institute and focused on the hops industry’s significance to the region.
Congressman Newhouse emphasized the collaborative nature of the industry, stating, “Hops is truly a specialty crop.”
Industry leaders highlighted the economic impact of the beer industry, which, according to Beer Serves America, supports over 57,000 jobs statewide and generates more than $12 billion in economic output.
A key topic of discussion was the H-2A program, which allows farmers to bring non-immigrant foreign workers to the U.S. on a seasonal basis. Hopsteiner CEO Louis Gimbel noted the importance of this program in maintaining a consistent workforce.
“You don’t want to retrain people every day because different people come every day,” Gimbel said.
Yakima Chief Hops CEO Ryan Hopkins expressed concerns about the program’s costs.
“The costs are pretty significant. You are responsible for transporting people here and back responsible for housing, which is not a low cost,” he said.
Innovation was another focal point of the discussion. Tom Davis, CEO of John I. Haas, emphasized its importance.
“We as suppliers need to make sure that we are with our brewing customers or if not hopefully in front of them, helping provide them with the best, most impactful varieties,” Davis said.
The panel also discussed the R&D tax credit included in President Trump’s reconciliation bill. The CEOs agreed that this credit aids their companies in focusing on innovation.
The meeting underscored the collaboration between government and industry leaders to foster positive economic impacts in the Yakima Valley.
