Russia brewers are asking the country's Agriculture Ministry to help them find a way to replace imported hops over the next few years as they fear shortages.
According to a report in the Russian daily Kommersant on April 8, Russian-owned breweries import 98 percent of the 7,000–7,500 metric tons of hops every year, mainly from Germany, the Czech Republic, and the United States.
Russia's domestic brewers could also face higher demand as European rivals Carlsberg and Heineken have announced plans to exit the Russian market.
Most Russian-owned firms had enough hops to last them a few months, but would run into serious problems in summer if supplies were disrupted, the Russian Union of Brewers said in a letter seen by Kommersant.
The union asked the government to support the establishment of local production, although the process is likely to take some time.
The Association of Russian Hops Producers estimates that it would need more than 500 million rubles ($6.4 million) in annual state subsidies for three to five years to increase production to 1,000 metric tons by 2030, the newspaper said.