Better barleys to meet demand
Grain shortages and rising global demand could be key challenges for the malting industry in the future. But high-yielding barleys with pan-European adaptability could be a big help, as a recent conference heard. That was the message from the Syngenta Seeds European Malting Barley conference in Brehna, Germany, this summer, attended by brewers, maltsters, distillers and seed trade representatives from across Europe. Under the theme of ‘sustainable malting barley production’, the conference opened by looking at the global challenges of an expanding population, before examining the vital role that new varieties could play – to meet the ongoing needs of yield, quality and consistent supply. “Grain demand is driven by population growth and land scarcity,” explained Robert Hiles, Global Malting Barley Business Manager for Syngenta Seeds. “There were two billion people in the world in 1950, but by 2030 there will be over eight billion. While two people were fed per hectare in 1960, by 2030 we will need to feed more than five. Calorie demand is also increasing. “But against the huge rise in demand, there is also limited |
Higher yields will be important to meet growing demand for grain, said Robert Hiles farmland and decreasing water supplies. This will impact across all sectors of grain consumption – including malting. “We need to continue to raise yields, while meeting quality requirements. This starts with high output varieties which suit both farmer and end user needs, and we believe Syngenta is ideally placed to play a central role in the sustainability of malting barley. Conference delegates heard how Quench spring malting barley is being expanded further across Europe “We already have a solid foundation of varieties and we continue to invest in bringing new ones to the market – and in expanding our variety screening programme further across Europe. “High yielding varieties which are suitable for growing and malting across Europe can help everybody, by providing a bigger market for growers to sell in to and a bigger market for end users to buy from,” he said. FocussedHeinrich Maubach, Cereal Product Development Manager for Syngenta Seeds in Germany, told delegates that to bring the benefits of high yielding barley to more people, Syngenta was not only Continued on page 2 |
