US: North Dakota likely to lose its spot as the nation’s No. 1 barley producer to Idaho or Montana this year

North Dakota will likely lose its spot as the United States No. 1 barley producer to either Idaho or Montana this year, Capital Press cited on March, 11 industry projections.

Farmers in North Dakota have made a strong shift away from barley in recent years to more attractive crops, primarily corn and soybeans.

Barley production plummeted 45 percent in North Dakota last year to 43.5 million bushels, barely ahead of the 43.2 million bushels produced in Idaho.

Montana was third with 38.4 million bushels.

Strong corn, soybean and spring wheat prices could rob North Dakota of even more barley acres this year, industry officials said.

"North Dakota is the No. 1 barley producer in the U.S., but they look to lose that position this year to either Montana or Idaho," said Dave Henderson, president of the National Barley Growers Association and a producer from Cut Bank, Montana.

Grain corn and soybeans aren't much of an option in Idaho and Western Montana, but both crops are attracting more and more dry land farmers in the Upper Midwest.

Corn and soybeans would appear to beat barley on price alone, but there are other advantages as well, industry officials said. Corn and soybeans are both available in Roundup Ready varieties, while barley is not. And there are better crop insurance products available for corn and soybeans, Henderson said.

He believes the move by North Dakota farmers away from barley is a long-term trend.

The sharp drop in North Dakota barley production last year was due primarily to large carryover stocks from 2009, coupled with strong corn, soybean and canola prices, said Steven Edwardson, executive administrator of the North Dakota Barley Council.

"We have watched all those crops take acres away from our traditional barley growing area," he said.

"We're looking at strong prices for corn, soybeans, canola and hard red spring wheat again this year," Edwardson said.

Industry officials don't expect any big increases in barley production in Idaho or Montana this year either, but see it staying relatively stable.

If North Dakota production dips again this year as expected, Idaho will likely become the nation's top barley producer, said Dwight Little, a member of the Idaho Barley Commission and a farmer near Teton.

Idaho has gained a reputation as a reliable source of good-quality malting barley, he said. Three companies, including Anheuser-Busch, now operate barley malting plants within about 60 miles of each other in Eastern Idaho, he said.

The majority of Idaho's barley crop is produced on irrigated acres, which is a big plus, Little said.

"We have the ability to produce a stable, quality crop year after year," he said.

11 March, 2011