SASKATOON – Barley growers will have to keep closer tabs on moisture levels if they want to sell their crop to malting companies next crop year.
The Canadian Grain Commission announced last week that as of Aug. 1 the moisture limit for straight or dry barley will be reduced to 14 percent, down from 14.8 percent.
The change was welcomed by domestic maltsters and exporters of malting barley.
“It’s something our industry has been lobbying for, for a long time,” said Jack Tye, manager of grain procurement for Canada Malting Co.
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Overseas buyers are demanding lower moisture levels, say industry officials. If Canada wanted to retain or expand its export markets, particularly for two-row varieties, the moisture standards had to be tightened.
Lack of germination
On the domestic front, the last couple of wet years drove home the problems associated with storing wet barley, as the newer two-row varieties like Harrington and Manley were losing in the bins their ability to germinate.
In a normal year, malting barley unloaded at Thunder Bay would average around 12 to 12.5 percent moisture. This year the average has been 14 to 14.1 percent.
At first glance, the new rules would appear to make things tougher for barley growers. But Tye said farmers should view the change positively, given the experience of the last two years.
“I think farmers’ reaction should be reasonably favorable because the impact has really been hardest on them with all the turndowns we’ve had to deal with because of the high moisture,” he said.
Explanation needed
Tim Harvie, a barley grower from Cochrane, Alta., said he thinks most growers will accept the new rules as long as the malting industry does a good job of explaining why they’re needed.
“You’re going to have to take a little more care in harvesting your grain,” he said. For example if a farmer is straight-cutting, which boosts the chances of getting malt grade, it’s sometimes hard to wait for the moisture to get that low. And some farmers will have to aerate or dry their crop to meet the new standards.
“So there will be some extra care and management in doing those kinds of things, but I’m not opposed to them putting on those specifications as long as you know in advance what’s required,” said Harvie.
Tye said the malting industry might conduct an education campaign this year, to tell farmers about the new standards, why they were put in place and what farmers can do to meet them.
