Australia: Hindmarsh barley a step closer to receiving malt accreditation

The popular Hindmarsh barley variety, which achieved excellent yields in low rainfall zones across Australia this season, is a step closer to receiving malt accreditation after passing the first stage of the two step malt evaluation process, The Farm Weekly posted on April, 9.

The news was welcomed by growers who have been closely monitoring the progress of the variety as it goes through testing to be malt-accredited, Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Grains Industry Officer Mary Raynes said.

“The progress of the Hindmarsh evaluation has been frequently sought after by growers, agronomists and consultants,” she said.

“With more than 300,000 hectares of Hindmarsh barley expected to be sown across low to medium rainfall areas in Australia, there is naturally a lot of interest in the malting accreditation process of this variety,” Ms Raynes said.

“This announcement made by Australia’s Malting Barley and Industry Brewing Technical Committee (MBIBTC) is very promising and many growers are busy cleaning Hindmarsh seed in preparation for the planting season.”

However, Hindmarsh will not receive its accreditation for the upcoming season, with the MBIBTC not to make a final decision until March 2011, and some within the malting industry believe there are certain malting quality issues that need to be double checked before it receives accreditation.

Ms Raynes was optimistic, however.

“Hindmarsh barley has demonstrated potential to achieve export malting quality and has grain characteristics suited to premium Japanese markets,” she said.

Mrs Raynes said Hindmarsh will enter the second stage of the malting and brewing evaluation trial in April 2010.

“MBIBTC will then meet in March 2011 to discuss the second stage of the evaluation results and the committee will then forward their recommendation to Barley Australia.”

Until the evaluation results announced by Barley Australia in March 2011, Hindmarsh will be treated and referred to as a feed barley variety.

Other barley varieties and breeding lines currently under evaluation for malting status include Shepherd, Oxford, GS1234, GS 1228, WABAR 2315 and WI4262.

09 April, 2010