Media Release

HPA launches an online charity auction with a refreshing finish

Hop Products Australia (HPA), Australia’s largest grower of specialty and bittering hops, will launch the PREMIERE CROP OF THE HOPS AUCTION to mark the commencement of the 2014 harvest.

The online auction of the first bale of Galaxy® hops, which weighs in at 100kgs, is set to have national and international appeal. Galaxy® is a proprietary hop variety bred and grown by HPA on their Tasmanian and Victorian farms. It has become the flavour backbone for many craft beers with global demand well in excess of supply.

The auction will be conducted from 5-13 March with 100% of the proceeds donated to beyondblue: Man Therapy in recognition of the significant mental health challenges men face, particularly in rural Australia.

Launching on Wednesday 5 March, the initiative will reach out to the brewing industry in Australia and the 20 countries HPA currently sells to. Brewers can register their interest atwww.hops.com.au/premierecropauction and bid live during an online auction hosted on allbids.com.au from Wednesday 5 March at 12:00pm AEST. To appeal to large and small brewing operations, the bale will be auctioned off in 10kg packs and pelletised if required.

HPA Managing Director Tim Lord said: “the 2014 Premiere Crop of the Hops charity auction will follow the journey of the bale from paddock to pint. It’s a win-win for brewers. They get to explore an exciting brewing opportunity while helping combat an issue often forgotten – depression – especially amongst men.”

“In the past 10 years, HPA has transitioned from competing internationally at the mercy of a commodity based industry to thriving with a differentiated product offering in flavour and aroma hops. Harvest celebrates flavour and variety offered by our proprietary hops which is the key driver of successful beers in the booming craft beer industry,” said Lord.

Last year HPA conducted the largest replant in its history – propagating some 200,000 hop plants; requiring dedicated facilities, hot houses and expansion of the hop gardens. It’s a testament to the significant contribution their proprietary varieties; Galaxy®, Ella®, Topaz®, Summer® and Vic Secret® have made to the development of the craft beer sector internationally.

beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell AO said: “Research shows many men think that admitting they are struggling with mental health issues is weak. This is why 70 per cent of Aussie men who have symptoms of depression or anxiety don’t get the help they need.”

“Man Therapy is aimed at bringing Australian men up to speed about depression and anxiety using humour. The website is hosted by a fictitious character called Dr Brian Ironwood, a straight-talking, irreverent man’s man who urges men to take charge of their mental health and get their life back on track.”

“beyondblue hopes Man Therapy will not only improve understanding of depression and anxiety, but reduce embarrassment and shame, which can often stop men talking about how they’re feeling and stop them from taking action,” said Carnell.

T/ @hopproducts F/ HopProductsAustralia #hpapremierecrop

Editor’s Notes

How the Auction Works

We understand that not all brewers need to purchase 100kgs of hops at a time, so we’ve structured bidding in a way that’s more inclusive for smaller operations. Here’s what you need to know:

• HPA is auctioning the first Galaxy® bale of the 2014 crop in lots of 10kg with no reserve price
• At auction close, the highest bidder of a 10kg lot will be offered the opportunity to purchase the entire bale (100kgs) at the winning bid per 10kg pack.
• The unsold packs will then be offered to the second highest bidder at their nominated price, and so on so forth until all 100kgs have been allocated. HPA will cover the transportation costs within Australia and to any of our overseas customers
• The auction will run from Wednesday 5 March (noon AEST) – Thursday 13 March 2014 (9am AEST). Winners will be notified via the ALLBIDS auction page and direct correspondence through HPA.
• If you require pellets, they will be provided to you in up to 10 x 10kg lots, depending on your share of the bale. HPA will honour the weight of the lots purchased regardless of shrinkage during the pelletisation process.

About HPA

HPA is a privately owned and independently managed Australian company, part of the Barth-Haas Group of companies; the largest hop trader in the world, founded in 1794.

The farms – Bushy Park (TAS) and Rostrevor (VIC) – are amongst the oldest continuously operating hop farms in the world. They’ve both been dedicated to growing hops since the late 1800s. Today, from these farms and selected growers, we handle around 90% of the hops grown in Australia, about 1% of the world’s production.

Through our dedicated hop breeding program and incessant drive to bring brewers the best hops; we have introduced a number of proprietary flavour hops, in addition to our aroma and bittering varieties.

Why beyondblue Man Therapy?

The ‘Man Therapy’ initiative was created by beyondblue as a ‘place for men to deal with manly issues in a manly way.’ It’s a toolkit enabling you to learn more, providing you strategies designed to protect your wellbeing and guide you to professional treatment if/when you require support.

On average, 1 in 8 men will have depression and 1 in 5 men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.

Depression is a high risk factor for suicide and, in Australia, there are approximately 2,200 suicides each year. 80 per cent are by men – with an average of 5 men taking their lives every single day. Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 44, significantly exceeding the national road toll.

The rate of males affected by mental health issues is staggering, so we chose to support an organisation that is doing incredible work to challenge that. Our industry is made up of a majority of males brewing in rural Australia, so it’s a perfect fit.

Through programs such as Man Therapy and Men’s Shed, beyondblue is working to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety in the community by raising awareness and understanding, empowering people to seek help, and supporting recovery, management and resilience. HPA is proud to support such a worthy cause.

If you, or someone you know might need the help of beyondblue, please call 1300 224 636 for support.