CNS Canada –– Feed barley bids in Alberta have shown some strength over the past few weeks, but may be nearing their highs if seasonal price trends come into play. Barley in the key cattle feeding area of Lethbridge, Alta. is currently trading at about $170 per tonne, up by about $10 over the past […] Read more
Rising feed grain prices set to hit seasonal plateau
Whew, there’s no malt shortage after all
Don’t cry in your beer — Alberta’s craft brewers have ‘lots’ of good-quality malt
Reading Time: 4 minutes Don’t worry — your favourite beer won’t be in short supply this year, despite recent reports that late-season moisture had seriously harmed Alberta’s malt barley crop. “The barley quality in 2016 is better than the 2015 crop, hands down,” said Kevin Sich, grain department manager at Rahr Malting near Alix. “If I needed a lot […] Read more
Malt barley growers face tough questions in soggy Alberta
CNS Canada — Unseasonably wet conditions in Alberta this year are causing quality concerns for malt barley growers there. Harvest typically begins in late August for many growers, but steady downpours have forced delays across much of the province. “We actually started Sept. 1, but we only got two days in before it started to […] Read more
Craft beer boom drives demand for new malt barley varieties
It’s all about consistency and efficiency for the big brewers, but the small guys want unique taste and also use more malt per batch
Reading Time: 4 minutes New malt barley varieties will soon hit the market to meet the growing demands of a burgeoning craft brewing industry. “The brewing and malting industry is changing,” said Pat Juskiw, a barley breeder with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “In the past, our industry has been composed of big companies — the Molsons, the Labatts, the […] Read more
New tool could speed up crop breeding
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s barley breeders now have access to both phenomic (field trial) and genomic data in one place. “The phenomic data is in the hands of the breeder, but the genomic data is generated through lab work,” said provincial researcher and biostatistician Rong-Cai Yang, who developed a new software program called the Barley Breeding Platform (BBP). “Usually […] Read more
Feed barley down, harvest pressure still to come
CNS Canada — Feed barley prices in Western Canada are trending lower, and likely have more room to the downside as new-crop barley hasn’t even started to enter the market. “Every time we think we’ve found a bottom, it seems to drop again,” said Jared Seitz of Agfinity, an Alberta-based online brokerage. He added “we […] Read more
Canadian maltsters’ barley needs covered for now
CNS Canada — Consistent demand from the craft brewing industry means solid malt barley contract prices for Canadian farmers, which in turn has driven up acres on the year. Maltster demand has been well met so far this year, one market participant said, but previous years’ weather has caused supplies to fall, propping up spot […] Read more
Lethbridge feed barley’s spring rally muted
CNS Canada — Lethbridge feed barley should be seeing its largest premium over fall and winter months, but so far this year the market’s spring rally has been limited. “This year all we’ve seen is a $5 to $10 per tonne move higher,” said Jim Beusekom, analyst at Market Place Commodities. “So it’s pretty minimal […] Read more
Feed barley due for spring rally
Barley has been undervalued compared to feed wheat, but any price increases are likely to be modest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Feed barley in Western Canada usually sees a spring rally at this time of year, although the uptrend this year will be limited by large supplies still overhanging the market. Feed grains had trended lower through late February and into early March, with feed wheat leading to the downside. Losses in feed wheat spilled over […] Read more
Brewers toast Australian gluten-free barley
Sydney | Reuters — Australian scientists say they have developed the world’s first WHO-approved “gluten-free” barley, a breakthrough for global beer manufacturers. They have had to use alternatives to barley such as rice and sorghum to brew gluten-free beer. Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said April 8 it had sold 70 tonnes […] Read more
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