I have been contemplating the future for malting barley growers should the challenging weather conditions continue.
I fully understand the optics of an Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) delegation heading for Antwerp to meet up with the hierarchy of Boortmalt.
Yes, every effort must be made to make the case for malting barley growers in Ireland.
However, my issue with it all relates to the actual return that will secured by the IFA representatives travelling to Belgium.
Here’s the reality – Boortmalt has made it very clear in the past that the business regards malting barley as a commodity product. And that’s it.
I would imagine that all the company really wants is to produce a specific end product at Athy, Co. Kildare. So, does it matter where the barley it needs actually comes from? I doubt it.
Malting barley
As we all know, 2023 was a very challenging year for malting barley growers in Ireland. So, what happens if 2024 follows suit in the same vein?
Under these circumstances, would Boortmalt stick with Irish farmers? Or would the business opt to look elsewhere when it comes to sourcing the barley they need?
At that stage, we get into the semantics of definitions. Must Irish whiskey be produced from grains grown in Ireland? Or is it simply a case of the distilling process taking place on this island?
If the latter is the case, then Irish malting barley growers should take note.
Let’s hope that the weeks and months ahead conspire to deliver a perfect growing season for tillage farmers in this part of the world.
I noted that Diageo is currently blending 2022 barley stocks with grain it bought last year in order to maintain the consistent quality of the Guinness that is produced at St. James’s Gate.
Again, what might happen if Ireland’s 2024 malting barley output doesn’t meet the quality criteria expected of the brewer? Might it then be a case of importing barley from other locations?
Linked to this is the more fundamental question – can the Guinness brewed in Ireland be made from barley produced in other countries?
Force majeure would indicate that companies such as Boortmalt and Diageo may have to source the grains they need from other locations, if they can’t secure the raw materials they need from the growers on their doorstep.
This is only right and fair. However, if these operations are forced to look abroad for any reason, at any time in the future, the temptation might well exist to continue on a more consistent basis.
I wonder if this issue was discussed at the Antwerp meeting involving Boortmalt and the IFA?