E-Malt.com News article: 3861

USA: USA barley production totaled 280.103 million bushels (6.098 million tonnes) in 2004 from 4.031 million acres of area harvested. The largest volume of barley production was registered in North Dakota: 92.38 million bushels from 1.49 million acres harvested.

The second-largest barley volume was registered in Idaho where barley production totaled 59.80 million bushels from 650,000 harvested acres in 2004, an increase of 26% from the prior year. Quality was good overall and excellent in some locations, particularly in south central Idaho. Quality dropped slightly in areas of north and southeastern Idaho due to rain at harvest time. Approximately 76.7% of Idaho's barley sampled received a USDA/FGIS grade of #1. There were 286 barley samples collected from Idaho elevators, commodity brokers and farmers. The samples were separated by class, variety and region. They were graded at a licensed Federal rain Inspection Service (FGIS) facility. Average weight was higher this year at 50.25 pounds per bushel (lb./bu.). Seventy-four percent of the 6-row barley crop tested 48 lb/bu or better and 93% of the 2-row barley crop tested 48 lb/bu or better. Overall thins averaged 3.14% and plumps averaged 87.17%. Protein averaged 11.77% statewide and moisture averaged 10.12%. The average for skinned and broken kernels was 1.43%. Since nutritional analyses are relatively consistent, they are not included in this year’s report.

The U.S. produces a wide range of malting barley varieties, including both 2-row and 6-row, that are favored not only by the North American industry, but by maltsters and brewers around the world. Each year we provide samples to potential customers to evaluate for use in their operations and we gladly host trade visitors to see our production and quality first-hand.

More than 60% of U.S. barley crop is used each year in the domestic beer market. Japan is the largest importer of US barley, buying more than 258 TMT (11.8 million bushels) of US barley in 2003-04.


18 December, 2004