China boosts Copeland barley variety, Saskatoon newsroom reported on August 14. In an industry historically conservative about the malting grain it uses, a new variety is poised to become a significant player in just a few years.
CDC Copeland, developed by Bryan Harvey of the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, is already finding market acceptance.

Michael Brophy, Canadian Wheat Board manager of malting barley marketing, said the board expects to announce this fall a sizable contracting program for CDC Copeland to capitalize on this opp-ortunity. The area contracted will depend on several matters, particularly how much registered seed is available. But there is no doubt that export customers, particularly in China, are interested. One of the attractions of CDC Copeland is that its malt produces a light coloured beer.

"The attributes of CDC Copeland seem to be particularly suited to the style of beer produced by some of the major brewers in China," he said. Maltsters also find it is hard to make a mistake with CDC Copeland. "That was an attribute Harrington had as well.... It was a forgiving variety. "Copeland seems to have similar attributes." The variety is owned by SeCan. Dale Alderson, SeCan marketing manager, said the variety has seen remarkable progress.

15 August, 2003