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
Whew, there’s no malt shortage after all
Don’t cry in your beer — Alberta’s craft brewers have ‘lots’ of good-quality malt
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
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
Uncertain times prompt growers to take out more insurance
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s an uncertain world out there, especially in farming — and that has more Alberta producers taking out crop insurance. “We’re seeing more acres being insured by Alberta producers on crops — last year we were close to about 78 per cent of acres insured,” said Merle Jacobson, acting president of the Agricultural Financial Services […] Read more
Alberta to launch malt barley insurance
Alberta is set to launch Canada’s first crop insurance product for malt barley this year. The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) last week said it will now provide insurance coverage for a malting end-use for growers with malt barley contracts. The coverage is subject to a contract from a licensed buyer, with a minimum […] Read more
Canada’s organic market to focus on special crops in 2016
CNS Canada — The spotlight is on special crops in Canada’s organic market, as new-crop bids for 2016 start to appear. “It’s a bit of a switch from normal,” said Laura Telford, organic sector development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at Portage la Prairie. Normally producers see high demand and prices for […] Read more
Malt barley prices strong despite ongoing harvest
CNS Canada — Commodity prices typically buckle under harvest pressure, but malt barley has been acting as the shining star of cash markets. Influencers within Canada and globally have contributed to the climb, according to one industry expert. Cash prices for delivered elevator malt barley range between $5.25 and $5.75 per bushel, according to Prairie […] Read more
High protein, high yields seen in early malt barley
CNS Canada –– High protein levels could prove a challenge for Canadian maltsters this year, but the quality of the country’s malt barley crop is generally looking better than had been expected as harvest activity starts up across the Prairies, according to a broker. “Everything is high, high, high; high yields, high plump, high bushel […] Read more
Malt barley seeding well ahead of normal
CNS Canada — Barley seeding is well underway across Western Canada and almost complete in southern Alberta, according to the head of the Barley Council of Canada. “We’re two weeks ahead here in southern Alberta, there’s guys that have wrapped up; they’re done seeding already,” said council president Brian Otto. On his own farm at […] Read more
Barley research updates now online
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Barley has posted up-to-date research project summaries on its website. The project summaries, written by researchers, detail the project’s timeline, project partners, total funding, and a description of its benefit to farmers. Updates on AgriInnovation Program projects are also on the website. The 27 projects, funded under the $11-million National Barley Research Cluster and […] Read more
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