China’s beer production accounts for 22% of the global beer complex. 2.6-3.0 million metric tons of malt is consumed yearly, while in 2021 12.5 million metric tons of barley for feed and malt use was imported by China.
AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY: The month of February brought below zero temperatures and snowy weather with varying
precipitation totals to the State of Montana, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics
Service, USDA.
As the South Korean food industry is exploring the possibility of developing new products using U.S. barley containing beta-glucan, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is ready to offer educational opportunities to help the industry better understand the qualities of the U.S. commodity.
Grain Samplers drive throughout the Treasure State probing railcars, totes, trucks, and bag lots. This is a very time sensitive process as the elevator will load the product and order a sample through the State Grain Lab and need to get the products in transit to avoid costly demurrage charges.
Farmers and ranchers in the Mountain Region states of Arizona, Colorado,
Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming still have time to be counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
“Wheat is Wheat.” This phrase is often heard and implies that the product is interchangeable and indistinguishable. Over time I have learned to appreciate this phrase on a different level, let us marvel at the complexity of what wheat really is.
The Montana Wheat & Barley Committee collects hundreds of spring wheat samples throughout the state. Those samples get graded, flour tested and dough testing. Our international markets each year are eager for the results.
The results are separated into five distinct growing regions arranged by county. Each region has an approximate share of the total U.S production. In 2022 Montana’s regions A and B make up 9% the U.S spring wheat crop.
January 12th, 2023, the winter wheat seedings and grain stocks report was released. The market was anticipating a bump in US seeded acres. The report showed an 11% increase in U.S winter wheat acres over last year. 37 million acres (14.9 million hectares) are reported in the ground for 2023 crop versus 33.2 million acres (13.4 million hectares) in 2022.
Contracting barley in Montana can be puzzling for those unfamiliar with the dynamics of this specialty crop. There are many ways to secure barley from Montana, but I want to spell out the easiest way.
December was a month full of activity as I settled in as the new Montana Wheat and Barley Committee (MWBC) Executive Vice President. I’m pleased to report that despite a drop in assessment revenues due to successive years of drought, the Committee was able to approve a budget that funds our ongoing research, market development and education outreach goals.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3024
300 Park Dr. S., Suite 104
Great Falls, MT 59403-3024
Phone: (406) 761-7732
Fax: (406) 761-7851
Email: wbc@mt.gov
The Montana Wheat & Barley Committee promotes local research and develops trade markets around the world.