Canadian Barley Harvest
Brought to you by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), this page provides up-to-date information on Western Canadian barley production including seeding, crop progress and harvest quality each year. Please check back frequently for updates.
Crop Progress Report – September 29, 2023
Harvest is now in full swing in western Canada. Overall crop development has been ahead of normal across a good portion of the Prairies due to the hot and dry conditions through much of the season, allowing for an initial early start to harvest although recent rain events caused some temporary delays. This hasn’t caused a material setback in completing the harvest in a timely fashion, but the rain has caused some quality problems for the barley crop in certain areas with reports of pre-harvest sprouting, though the extent of the damage is still uncertain.
Crop Progress Updates
Crop Progress Report – September 29, 2023
Harvest is now in full swing in western Canada. Overall crop development has been ahead of normal across a good portion of the Prairies due to the hot and dry conditions through much of the season, allowing for an initial early start to harvest although recent rain events caused some temporary delays. This hasn’t caused a material setback in completing the harvest in a timely fashion, but the rain has caused some quality problems for the barley crop in certain areas with reports of pre-harvest sprouting, though the extent of the damage is still uncertain.
CMBTC 2023 Western Canada Barley Tour
The CMBTC’s 2023 Malt Barley New Crop Tour was a success with stunning weather and a diverse agenda including stops at three grain farms, a feedlot, a barley breeding centre, a grain elevator, two micro malt plants and two microbreweries. The tour was based out of Calgary, Alberta, with over 40 participants travelling central and southern Alberta and enjoying “epic conversations” (according to one participant) about Canada’s malting, feed and seed barley industries. This well-rounded Alberta visit was capped off with 15 participants touring the Port of Vancouver by boat to see grain company terminal elevator facilities on August 18th.
