Prospects for spring barley after poor year for Scots growers

Following a challenging harvest season marked by quality issues and depressed markets, Scottish Agronomy is urging growers to carefully weigh up their options before abandoning spring barley in favour of alternative crops.

Adam Christie, managing director of Scottish Agronomy, points out that the 2025 growing season presented unique difficulties for spring barley producers across Scotland. 

See also: New slug pellet with novel active ingredient available

“The pleasant surprise was that yields were near normal,” says Adam.

“But quality was not, and when combined with a depressed market for malting barley and a surfeit of feed barley, it has made marketing a challenge for many.”

Adam suggests that the industry has never faced such elevated screening levels, and many producers are now considering on-farm livestock production as a viable route to gain value from this year’s crop.

The outlook for quality spring barley demand is a concern, he adds.

Adam Christie © Scottish Agronomy

Adam says: “Worryingly, the dip in demand for high-quality spring barley looks like it could last for several more years.

“Our agronomy team has had a huge number of discussions with growers in recent weeks looking for viable alternatives.

“Our annual trials programme, both on the trials sites and on member farms, gives us interesting insights on leading options.

“The evidence built up over 40 years is very valuable to guide difficult decisions in times like this.”

Alternative options could include growing peas, beans, spring oilseed rape and spring linseed.

Adam urges caution, however, before making any wholesale changes.

“There is a reason why we always return to spring barley,” he says.

When farmers look at many of the alternatives, the economic prospects are often poorer than spring barley, even in today’s depressed market.

“You need to consider the potential risks that the decision to move away from spring barley may have and if that suits your farming business.

“Growers may well find that the best alternative to spring barley is spring barley, as odd as that sounds.

“Switching from spring barley aiming for the quality market to one prioritising yield may well prove a less risky option than switching to one of the alternatives.”

Over the past two years, Scottish Agronomy has trialled areas of peas and beans as preceding crops within its over-year programme.

Yields this year were respectable, he says, though in 2023 they were less good.