EU: Central Europe’s barley quantities and qualities suffer from unfavourable weather

A long heat wave in a large production area reduced barley quantities and qualities in Northern Austria, South and Central Moravia, West and South Slovakia and Western Hungary. Rains during harvest time affected the crops in all these areas, but specifically in Bohemia and North Poland, H. M. Gauger GmbH said in their September report.

Crop estimates of spring barley are: in the Czech Republic 1.1 mln tonnes (1.2 mln last year), Austria 180,000 tonnes, Slovakia 370,000 tonnes, Hungary 200,000 tonnes, Poland 2.6 mln tonnes (of which usually 10% selectable malting barley). Luckily winter barley crops are of reasonable quality.

Spring barley yields are low, qualities are poor indeed. In most countries protein contents are high, up to 14% in many regions, grain size is too low, and sprouted grains reduce the selection of malting barley. Relaxed specifications are a must, in the Czech Republic already new contract terms are negotiated of max. 13% protein and 80% above 2.5 mm.

According to the Gauger analysts, the region would need a few hundred thousand tonnes of imported barley - on paper – but the high transport cost from France and Denmark makes the industry search for any alternative solutions.

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