United Kingdom
August 5, 2010
Scottish malting barley grower Will Hamilton is convinced that current concerns about the future of the crop will be short-lived and that as the country comes out of recession the market for it will improve.
“I am a ‘glass-half-full’ type of person and will be staying in malting barley for the duration. We can grow good malting barley here on the coast, so for me it’s a profitable and natural crop to grow,” says Mr Hamilton, who farms over 500 hectares from Bee Edge Farm, Coldingham in Berwickshire (photo). Up to half the acreage is down to malting barley because the predominantly sandy land is very well suited to growing the crop, with winter barley yields averaging eight tonnes per hectare and spring crops just over seven tonnes per hectare.”
The main winter variety grown at Bee Edge Farm is Pearl, which is bred by Nickerson, has an 80 per cent market share in the region and, says Mr Hamilton ‘always produced consistently good quality samples combined with reasonable malting barley yields.’ Spring varieties include Optic and Golden Promise, the latter grown by a select group of growers for the Timothy Taylor brewery in West Yorkshire.
“Malting barley is a key crop for growers in this region, but it is critical that good contracts are worked out between supplier and customer,” explains Mr Hamilton. “I’ve always contracted out malting barley to Simpsons Malt and have found that it has worked well. I currently have a three-year contract, which allows me to plan ahead, particularly at a time when prices aren’t at their best. It gives me the security of knowing that I can make a margin for that period of time.
“Having barley in the rotation also ticks all the boxes agronomically, as well as spreading the workload on the farm,” explains Mr Hamilton. “Good cash flow from malting barley is also a factor. Being paid at the end of September for a crop which is harvested in August makes good sense and is a significant benefit compared with wheat, which can go unsold and remain in storage for long periods.”
Mark Glew, Senior Barley Breeder for Limagrain UK emphasises that the production of malting barley remains a major industry in Scotland. With a well-established infrastructure and demand likely to increase in the future it will provide growers with a real and ongoing opportunity.
Topics
Species
