UK: English crop fails to make impact on malting barley market
Fears at sowing time that Englands exceptional 2020 spring barley acreage would pose a threat to the Scottish malting markets have proved to be groundless, The Courier reported on September 5.
As combines continue to cut a swathe through harvest fields both north and south of the border, commentators are confirming that English yields and quality have failed to make an impact on Scotlands traditional dominance of the malting barley market.
Frontiers general manager in Scotland, Bruce Ferguson, said the English crop, which was sown in land that would traditionally be used for winter cereals, has had a low level of conformity for malting.
It looked like a big crop on paper, but it hasnt performed as malting barley, which was always going to be the potential, he said.
Winter cereals land is that for a reason, it doesnt suit spring crops, and thats what has materialised this year, whereas historically in Scotland weve grown malting barley as a primary crop.
However, NFU Scotlands cereals committee chairman Willie Thomson, who farms near Haddington, voiced concerns that the extra spring barley could swamp the feed market.
He said: Its not going to trouble our malting market but the oceans of feed barley could drag the price down there. Its an unknown situation.
However, with around 50% of this years harvest now safely in store slightly more in central Scotland and less elsewhere views are varying on the quality of spring barley which has seen issues with pre-germination and skinning in some parts of the country.
Bruce Ferguson said: It would be wrong to say its all sailing in fine and well, but the majority is making the malting grade although there is variation out there.
Mr Thomson added: Were a bit anxious about quality in the Borders and Berwickshire.
There have been a few rejections for germination but nitrogens are OK.
Theres still a lot to do but while we would all like to be finished early, the first week of September is traditional harvesting time.
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