Finding a home for spring barley

Above average rainfall

Steve Cook, NIAB TAG regional agronomist – South, says the area he covers – Hampshire, Wiltshire, Surrey and Berkshire - has had above average rainfall for April. “We have had a reasonable dose of rain and crops are looking well with no disease so we are holding spring barley T1 fungicides back a little and planning a one stage rather than two stage spray programme.”

Also because drilling was delayed from February/March to April in the region, nitrogen fertiliser application rates have been reduced from 150kg/ha to 125kg/ha in anticipation of slightly lower yield potential, says Mr Cook.

These southern counties usually export significant amounts of malting barley to the continent. However, cancellation of large sporting events where beer is consumed due to coronavirus, and Brexit trade deal uncertainty mean few are looking at being able to sell into the malting barley market, he says.

With 46mm of rain in April, spring barley crops in the West are looking okay, according to Antony Wade, an independent agronomist covering Herefordshire, Shropshire, and the Welsh Marches. They are likely to be destined for feed. Winter barley, on the other hand, is patchy and some could be whole-cropped, he adds.

Re-routing

Openfield head of malting barley exports Elved Phillips says China’s decision to place hefty import tariffs on Australian barley could lend support to European feed markets. “French barley has gone up €5/t in the last week and it will go into China. There will be a re-routing of supply with Australian barley going into Saudi Arabia. UK barley will go into North Africa but there will be competition from Spain, which has a massive crop and has had a lot of rain.”

Malting barley demand is down 50 per cent due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, he says, with the craft beers market being hit particularly hard, down 75 per cent.