Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Despite reports of quality issues this year, malt barley prices are soft, as increased quantity put a damper on the market. Spot malt barley prices are about $4.75-$4.85 per bushel in Western Canada, Prairie Ag Hotwire data said, which compares with last year’s harvest prices of about $5.25-$5.75. “We do have a […] Read more
Malt barley market weaker with increased supplies
Malt barley growers face tough questions in soggy Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes 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
Can the beef value of beer barley be rated with just one test?
Barley that fails to meet malt grade makes it the most common grain fed to feedlot cattle
Reading Time: 4 minutes After wheat and canola, barley is the most prominent crop in Western Canada. From 2005 to 2014, an average of 7.9 million acres was seeded resulting in an average annual production of 9.2 million metric tonnes. Barley grain has two primary end uses: as malt for beer or as livestock feed. On average, the value […] Read more
Canadian maltsters’ barley needs covered for now
Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
The malting lottery continues
Having barley accepted for malting has never been a sure thing, and that’s still the case following changes to the marketing system
Reading Time: 4 minutes Malting barley can be one of the most profitable crops in Western Canada — if you can grow it, and if you can sell it. That’s not necessarily easy. Many farmers try — it’s estimated that 80 per cent of the barley sown in Western Canada is seeded to malting varieties. But only about 20 […] Read more
Alberta to launch malt barley insurance
Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
Reading Time: 2 minutes 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
Reading Time: < 1 minute 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
Reading Time: 2 minutes 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
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