Canada: The man who developed one of the most popular barley varieties in Canadian history was honoured by a non-profit seed distribution agency in Saskatoon Tuesday, October 20. Brian Harvey, a plant scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, created Harrington barley 21 years ago.

The director of the Crop Development Centre at the U of S says farmers and the malting industry are deeply indebted to him.

"When it did come out, it was kind of a giant step in terms of quality," says Rick Holm. "Most of the time, advances in plant breeding are baby steps, but this was quite a large advance in quality."

Over the years, prairie farmers have grown nearly three billion bushels of Harrington barley for a total value of $12 billion.

Harrington barley is now grown in China, South Africa, Australia, and the United States, where it is still the most popular variety among farmers who grow malting barley.

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