Consumer | About Agriculture | Barley | Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

Barley

History

Barley is a staple grain that has been used for human consumption and animal feed for at least 17,000 years. In some places in the world barley is still eaten daily. Morocco is the world’s largest per capita user of food barley at 65kg. They use it in soup, porridge and traditional breads.

Importance:

Manitoba produces about 10% of Canada’s annual barley crop Within Manitoba barley production peaked in the early 1980’s with more than 2 million acres planted. By 2001 1.1 million acres were planted. Barley is considered Canada’s second most important crop after wheat and Western Canada is a leading supplier and exporter. Over 50 barley varieties are registered for production.

Uses/Processing

Malting barley is used to make beer. Manitoba has one major maltster; IMC Canada Ltd (formerly Dominion Malting Ltd), whose malt is used by the provincial breweries like Fort Garry Brewing Co. Ltd. and exported. Malting barley for making beer is approx. 20% of the crop.

Select hulless barley is used for food products as an ingredient to bolster nutrition and fibre in foods like cereals and breakfast bars. It may be milled for flour or pearled and sold as pot or pearl barley. Is approx: 20%

Remaining barley is used in livestock feed for cattle, pigs, and poultry in Canada, Feed and standard hulless barley for livestock and poultry feed makes up approx. 60% of the crop.

Exports:

One third of the barley crop is exported. Some in unprocessed form for feed to Japan, China, Mexico, Europe and the United States. A small amount goes to Japan to be made into miso paste, a traditional Japanese flavouring. Exports are valued at $49.5million for unprocessed and $21.1 million for malt and malt extracts.

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