Denmark: Scattered rains this last weekend of March, but spring time has finally started. Sowing has started last week and if the weather permits, be finished by Easter or shortly after. Denmark intends to sow about 560,000 ha to spring barley. The main varieties are 1. Prestige, 2. Barke; 3. Alliott (less than past years), 4. Sebastian (new) and then Scarlett and Landora – of which the latter has lost a lot of ground. Denmark is coming up with several new varieties (Sebastian, Class, Brazil) which all have high yields (index 105 tonnes versus 95 for Barke), and if these varieties proof good for the malting industry, farmers and grain traders hope for good premiums for these varieties.

13 April, 2004