E-Malt.com News article: 2473

China’s 2003/04 barley production is estimated by USDA at 3.4 million tonnes, up 1.2 million or 55 % from last month and up slightly from last year’s revised output of 3.32 million tonnes, Pro Farmer posted on April 8. Area is estimated at 950,000 hectares, up 305,000 or 47 % from last month and up 4 % from last year’s revised area of 914,000 hectares. The changes are based on official data from the National Bureau of Statistics for 2002/03 and preliminary government estimates for 2003/04. The estimated yield of 3.58 tonnes per hectare is lower than the past 2 years but above the 5-year average. The lower yields in 2003/04 are likely the result of wet weather during the harvest of the winter barley crop. Winter barley, which accounts for most of China’s output, is grown in the southern part of the North China Plain and the southwest where it competes with winter wheat and rapeseed. A smaller spring barley crop is produced in northwest China.

Malting barley accounts for about 60 % of the total crop; the rest is used for feed. According to industry sources, barley area increased more than expected in the past 2 years in response to a malting barley shortage in 2002. China reportedly became the number one producer of beer in 2003.


09 April, 2004