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National Barley Growers president says no barley, no beer

The president of the National Barley Growers Association (NBGA) had a very direct message for members of a House Ag Subcommittee during a hearing on general farm commodities and risk management Tuesday.

“As the brewers know very well, without barley you have no beer.  No barley, no beer.”

That’s west-central Minnesota farmer Peter Friederichs, who raised concerns about reduced demand for barley and the need for an adequate safety net in the next Farm Bill.

“Planting for the malting market is a high-risk venture.  For that reason, NBGA and our industry partners worked with the Risk Management Agency to develop a malt barley endorsement to help mitigate this risk.  Although this option was first available last year, there are still issues to be worked out regarding full coverage.”

He says NBGA is also a staunch supporter of the overall crop insurance program.

Friederichs testified that trade uncertainty under the Trump Administration must be addressed as well.

“For instance, Mexico is our number one market for malting barley exports.  And recent efforts to increase sales to our customers south of the border have been put on hold indefinitely due to the current uncertainty surrounding our nation’s trade policy with Mexico.”

Friederichs says if the Mexican import market is lost, ag prices could fall further and result in even higher commodity title payments.