Australia: Two GRDC-supported projects strengthen barley's future in Western Australia

Barley is the cereal ‘story’ on everyone’s lips in Western Australia and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is helping write its next chapter by supporting projects to value-add its development, according to SeedQuest news release, December 19.

The projects are undertaking research, extension and industry development activities to underpin the growth of Western Australia’s $460 million export barley crop, which will hopefully lead to increased exports to Chinese, Japanese and South East Asian beer markets.

More malting barley will also assist Joe White Maltings, which recently spent $46 million upgrading its Western Australian malthouse.

Officially opening the new facility, Agriculture and Food Minister, Kim Chance said he expected barley to become as commonly grown as wheat in Western Australia due to its lucrative financial incentives.

Mt Madden grower and Western Region Barley Council Chairman, Steve Tilbrook put an even stronger case for barley’s future, saying it was already very important.

And during the GRDC Western Panel spring tour, central wheatbelt growers expressed their desire for a malt barley variety for low rainfall areas.

GRDC supported researcher, Blakely Paynter of the Department of Agriculture and Food said the renewed funding of these projects aim to allow more growers to increase yields, manage input costs and successfully grow malt barley.

Of course, while growers now have more malting and feed barley variety options, which offer opportunities to increase grain yield, if their malting barley varieties don’t meet strict receive specifications, it will be downgraded to feed at the bin, reducing the price they are paid.

Worth $1.4 million over the next three years, the two GRDC projects aim to provide growers with the information to meet the specifications for malting, feed and shochu barley products.

Mr Paynter said the projects would trial malt and feed varieties to determine their weaknesses and strengths to help build variety specific management guidelines and provide information on when and where a particular barley variety should be sown.

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