Scottish malting barley faces downgrades amid weak demand

Early harvest reports from parts of the country show cereals in generally good condition, but in malting barley the story is more complicated.

Agronomist Charlie Catto, of Agrii, warns that high screenings are having a major impact on the Scottish malting crop, meaning growers are facing a £70/t downgrade on grain that fails to meet spec.

“This year’s screenings problem is down to the weather,” he said. “Harvest came a month earlier than normal after a season of drought, brief rain and then more drought.

“The main tillers are fine, but the secondary tillers didn’t have time to fill – that’s what’s pushing screenings up. In some areas they’re hitting 30–40%, especially in Angus and south Aberdeenshire. It’s a big financial hit to the bottom line.”

High nitrogen levels and small grains are emerging as a marketing headache in an already subdued market, with premiums over feed barley now sitting at just £15/t compared with over £60/t two years ago.

Industry data suggests that unless the UK spring barley harvest suffers a marked drop in yield or quality, the oversupply and weak demand will keep prices under pressure. Brewing, malting, and distilling demand is forecast to fall by around 7.6% year-on-year, and many buyers are already well stocked.

Mr Catto said the variety and location made a big difference this season: “Sassy barley seems to be holding up best, with screenings under 15%, but varieties like Laureate, Diablo and Firefox are struggling in many areas. Lighter land and late drilling have been hardest hit.”

For farmers, the problem is clear: if a load fails to meet malting specification it is downgraded to feed barley, where prices are depressed and competition is fierce.

Scott Campbell, a cereal grower from the northeast and co-chair of the North East Combinable Crops Committee, said the season’s weather had created small, unviable grains from secondary tillers.

“Late rain brought them on late, then wind and sun ripened them too quickly,” he explained. “The standard cut-off for screenings is 10%, but I’m hearing of a lot of samples at 15–25% and higher. If they don’t raise the threshold, a lot of barley will be downgraded to feed.”

Ben Lowe, an agronomist at Agrovista and pig farmer, agreed that the high nitrogen problem was largely weather driven.

“We had 43 days without rain after fertiliser was applied. Normally, the nitrogen would be used by the plant for growth and tillering, but with no moisture it stayed in the soil. When the rain finally came, the plant was setting seed, so the nitrogen went straight into the grain.”

The result is barley that may yield well but fails the maltsters’ quality parameters. Mr Lowe warned that if large volumes are rejected, the feed barley market could be swamped: “The global price for wheat, barley, and soya is already low.”

Some growers are already shifting away from spring barley.

“We’re seeing more oilseed rape going in this autumn,” Mr Lowe said. “It’s partly because spring barley prospects aren’t good, and partly because rape is an early harvest crop that fits rotation well.”

“Some companies have eased thresholds while others remain strict at the time of writing,” said Mr Campbell. “With all the talk on sustainability it’s certainly not financially sustainable to grow spring barley for £120 for feeding – it’s way below the cost of production.”

Mr Catto added that uncertainty over whether maltsters will adjust their specifications is adding to grower stress. “If they don’t, the good malting barley will run out quickly and intakes will grind to a halt. Everyone’s playing a waiting game.”

Gordon Rennie, Fife farmer and agronomist, said that while winter barley has performed, spring crops have been hit by drought stress and herbicide checks. The very early harvest in some areas has produced grains that ‘failed to fill properly’, he said, leading to high screenings and nitrogen.

“Given demand for new crop malting barley is low, intakes are being fussy. A lot intended for malting will end up as feed barley, of which there is a glut.”

The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain expects to purchase around 1.9 million tonnes from the 2025 crop, but farmers warn that without better premiums and more flexible specifications, the area devoted to malting varieties will shrink.

Mr Campbell said some growers might even leave land fallow or put in a cover crop rather than grow spring barley next year. “On-farm storage is now also a concern with the wheat ready as well,” he added.

For now, growers are waiting to see if maltsters will relax quality thresholds once more harvest samples are in. But with margins tight, patience is wearing thin.