E-Malt.com News article: 1535

The quality of western Canada's malting barley is being negatively impacted by a heat wave across the region, High Plains Journal reported on September 5. Protein levels are expected to be on the high end of acceptable ranges, as the heat is forcing the crop to mature early, said industry sources.

Hot, dry conditions across western Canada caused the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) to decrease it's western Canadian barley production estimate for the 2003/04 crop year (Aug-Jul) from 12.7 million metric tons to 11.4 million tons on August 7. "We lost quite a bit of malting barley in July," said Peter Watts, a barley analyst with the CWB. The production estimate is still significantly higher than 2002/03's production of 7.3 million tons.

"The heat has just continued through," said Jack Foster, director of barley procurement for Prairie Malting Ltd. in Saskatchewan. He estimates the crop is now "probably down to at least 11 million tons."

Forced maturity, caused by the heat, leads to "nice, bright, white barley free of mold, bacteria, and fungal damage," said Foster. However, "a lot of the barley's are thin, light weight and the protein is very variable, from highs of 17% to lows of about 10%." The optimal protein level for malt barley is around 11%, give or take one percent. Kernels which mature quickly can have higher protein levels, said Watts. Last year malting companies had to accept barley with high protein levels of 13% to 14%. Foster expects there to be enough barley within the acceptable range, of 10% to 12%, this year, but with the heat Prairie Malting will "probably have to use more 12% protein than we'd really like." He said "the average protein will be up a little bit, it won't be the ideal 11%."

The biggest concern for malting barley right now is grasshopper damage, said Foster, which is very prevalent on samples he's received. Some "samples have had as high as 15% grasshopper nibbles, which is totally unacceptable," said Foster. Five percent peeled, broken and grasshopper nibbles added up is considered an acceptable level. Grasshopper bodies mixed with barley in the bin could also pose a concern to producers, said Foster, as spoilage could result from the moisture in the carcasses.

The barley samples coming in to Prairie Malting are inconsistent, either very good, or too high in protein, or high in grasshopper damage, or too thin, which makes decision making very obvious, said Foster. The company has accepted 25% of the samples received so far. In normal year's up to 70% of the early samples would have been accepted, but 25% to 30% acceptance is a normal average acceptance rate.


09 September, 2003