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Good quality Canadian malt barley despite lower yields

CDC Copeland acres declined, with AAC Synergy the most popular malting variety

Reading Time: 2 minutes Hot and dry growing conditions cut into barley yields in Western Canada in 2023 but the quality was generally good, according to the yearly annual harvest report on barley quality from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC).

Canada Malting’s processing plant in Montreal. (CanadaMalting.com)

Bureau won’t challenge takeover of Canada Malting parent

U.K. also has 'no further questions'

Reading Time: 2 minutes The owner of one of Canada’s major commercial maltsters says its takeover by a major French peer won’t be challenged by Canada’s antitrust regulator. United Malt Group, whose Canadian assets operate under the Canada Malting banner, last month locked in on a previously announced deal to sell itself to France’s Malteries Soufflet for A$1.5 billion […] Read more


The malting floor at Anglia Maltings’ Crisp Malt facility in the U.K. (Photo: CNW Group/Richardson International Ltd.)

Richardson buys into European malt market

Winnipeg agrifood firm buys U.K.-based Anglia Maltings

Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Canada’s biggest grain merchant Richardson International is entering the malt sector through the acquisition of U.K.-based Anglia Maltings Holdings (AMH), targeting rising demand for the beer and whisky ingredient, Richardson said on Friday without disclosing financial terms. Anglia Maltings operates seven malt facilities in the U.K., Poland, and Germany, with combined […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Little change in barley acres expected

Malt barley prices mainly steady

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As spring planting approaches, Peter Watt of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) said there likely won’t be a big shift in barley acres that will be planted in 2023. “Producers have made their [planting] decisions for the most part. You might see people adjust their plans a little bit based on […] Read more


CDC Churchill, shown here in a field in Alberta, is one of the latest malting barley varieties available to growers.

Consistency is key when it comes to growing malt barley varieties

New malting barley varieties yield better, but maltsters and brewers are wary of adopting them too quickly

Reading Time: 5 minutes One of the common elements of growing corn, wheat or soybeans anywhere in Canada is the volume-based market for each. Outside of identity-preserved (IP) varieties in soybeans or silage-specific hybrids in corn, there’s little differentiation. Regardless of the care or management a grower may take with commodity crops, their destination is usually the same — […] Read more

(File photo)

Low demand for barley keeps prices stable

Wheat's volatility not reflecting onto barley values

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Unlike the dramatic leaps wheat prices have made since the Russian invasion of Ukraine 12 days ago, malt barley prices have moved very little, according to Kris Moric of Johnston’s Grains in Calgary. Wheat “is not pulling barley prices with it, as far as we can see on our end,” Moric said, noting […] Read more


A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Spring rally unlikely

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada have held relatively steady over the past month despite large moves in many outside markets. However, a number of factors may weigh on values heading into the spring. Feed barley is trading in the $4-$4.95 per bushel area in Alberta, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data. Prices […] Read more

Red Shed Malting adds value to the farm’s barley by producing premium-quality base malts, plus lightly kilned and roasted specialty malts made from them.

Why marketing is the test, no matter how great your idea

“It’s a mind-shift,” says value-add pro Gary Morton. Success takes groundwork, strategic planning… and money

Reading Time: 3 minutes Branding that identifies you as the producer and connects buyers to your farm product is a key strategy for adding value to farm products, says Halifax-based business consultant Gary Morton with Morton Horticultural Associates. “You are kind of in a sea of sameness,” says Morton, who has worked with all types of farms, not only […] Read more