Barley groups from the three prairie provinces will collect funds to support initiatives of the technical centre
The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre in Winnipeg has reached a new funding agreement.
The CMBTC will receive core funding from Alberta Barley, the Manitoba Wheat & Barley Growers Association and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (Sask Barley).
Funding will be collected through a farmer checkoff and used to support CMBTC programs, which include market development initiatives, quality evaluation and technical support services for buyers of Canadian malt barley.
“Continued funding from farmers will support the CMBTC’s operations, including our work to introduce promising new varieties to our domestic and international customers,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the CMBTC.
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“With improved yield and disease resistance, and equal or better quality than existing varieties, the new lines will create value for farmers and help make malting barley an attractive crop to grow.”
The CMBTC conducts research designed to learn more about malting barley performance in malting and brewing processes and to en-sure Canadian malting barley meets the needs of end users.
Most research conducted at the CMBTC is applied research that directly supports the commercialization of Canadian malting barley.
The new funding agreement took effect July 31 and will replace the Western Canadian Deduction checkoff, which provided the CMBTC with three cents per tonne of barley delivered to Canadian Grain Commission licensed companies during the past five years.
The three provincial barley associations have taken over the collection and administration of the checkoff and have agreed to continue funding for CMBTC operations.
“One of our main goals at Sask Barley is to strengthen the competitiveness of Saskatchewan’s barley industry and the CMBTC supports this goal by facilitating programs that aim to commercialize Canadian malting barley,” said Sask Barley chair Jason Skotheim in a news release.
“Alberta Barley recognizes the value of the CMBTC’s expertise in malting and brewing, and their work to help create and sustain markets for Alberta’s malting barley farmers,” added Alberta Barley chair Jason Lenz.
“It’s part of the Canadian quality brand recognized by our international customers.”
Canada is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of malting barley and malt, with combined domestic and international sales revenues of $1 billion annually.
