Canadian Barley

Canada is one of the world’s largest barley producers and exporters, with production of about 12 million tonnes. Much of the barley is grown in the rich brown and black soils of the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Canadian barley is well known for its high quality, which provides an advantage to the malt, feed, and food industries. Approximately 2.3 million tonnes are selected for malting, 2.6 million tonnes are exported as feed, and the remainder is used domestically.

Over 50 barley varieties are registered for production in Western Canada. This includes eight hulless and thirteen malting varieties, and others which are ideally suited to feed and general purposes. At the present time, all barley is exported through the Canadian Wheat Board, a single-desk selling agency.

Research

Extensive research and development focuses on barley technology. Much of the research is conducted at universities, government institutions, and at pilot plant and processing facilities. In addition, collaborative associations make Canada a leader in varietal and processing development:

• Barley Development Council

The Council is a forum of experts in the barley industry that brings together scientists, industry representatives and producers. It includes 19 organizations from Western Canada.

• Western Grains Research Foundation

Plant breeding programs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan receive funding through the Foundation, which is a producer-controlled organization.

• Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute [BMBRI]

The brewing and malting industries of Canada sponsor the Institute to assist in the development and analysis of barley for malting and brewing purposes.

• Alberta Barley Commission

The Commission is a farm organization which is funded, directed and controlled by Alberta barley producers to conduct research, market development and technology transfer on their behalf.

Alberta Barley

The province of Alberta grows about 2.4 million hectares of barley, which accounts for about 50 per cent of the country’s barley crop. Alberta is ideally suited to growing excellent barley because of its large fertile land area, clean environment and good climate. Cold winters greatly reduce exposure to crop diseases common in warmer climates. Two-rowed varieties account for 50 per cent of the land seeded to barley, and are popular for their plump, uniform kernel size. Research conducted within the province has focused on developing new cultivars of barley with specific qualities to meet customer needs.

Read More About Barley

Growing Alberta's magazine Food for Thought published an article on barley in its Winter, 2002 issue.  Click here to read it.

What Makes Barley Such a Good Food? Find out here.