Examine barley market needs
Examine barley market needs
BARLEY growers must get closer to the market and understand more about customer requirements, speakers stressed at an HGCA/Maltsters Association of Great Britain seminar in Inverness last week.
"Just knowing whether your outlet wants low or high nitrogen in the crop is not enough," said Mark Kinsman, customer services manager with Bairds Malt. "You need to understand the exact needs of your customer to achieve top returns. Know who you are selling to and what their exact requirements are.
"Growers need to establish a relationship with both buyers and processors so that they can get marketplace intelligence and use it to make informed decisions on things like selecting suitable varieties for target markets."
Keith Headridge, grain director with Scotgrain, added: "Whatever area you are in, speak to your local buyer now about what his specifications are for this year." *
Marketing malting barley is just one of the topics in the HGCAs new Introductory Guide To Malting Barley booklet. As well as giving advice on the economics of growing barley, how to harvest it, store it, meet contract requirements and sell the crop, the booklet also gives the latest advice on sowing dates, fertiliser requirements and disease control. It is free to HGCA levy payers, £25 to non-levy payers, from the HGCA (020-7520 3920, or e-mail admin@hgca.com).