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

Bureau won’t challenge takeover of Canada Malting parent
U.K. also has 'no further questions'

As harvest drags on, malt barley quality uncertain
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — The quality of Canada’s 2019-20 barley crop remains to be seen, as cool and wet harvest conditions across much of the Prairies are raising concerns over how much will meet malt specifications. “We’ll lose a lot of malting barley this year, because of the weather,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the Canadian […] Read more

Harvest delays prompt questions about malt barley supplies
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — The long, wet harvest of 2018 has probably spelled the end for most hopes that barley still in fields will meet malting specifications. “I really suspect that anything left in the field now, any barley now, will not be malting quality,” said Jeff Nielsen, a farmer near Olds, Alta., and director with […] Read more

Growing craft beer sector thirsty for local malt
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Craft breweries are a growing subsector of the Canadian beer industry, but the increased variety of local drink options are not necessarily 100 per cent homegrown, as a lack of domestically produced specialty malts forces brewers to look far afield to meet their needs. “We get our base malt locally, but we […] Read more

Malt barley market weaker with increased supplies
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 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

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