E-Malt.com News article: Ireland: Malting barley premium under threat, grain growers group warns

Irish malting barley growers are potentially facing an extraordinary situation as malting barley, regarded as a premium crop, is being discussed at prices that could leave growers worse off than if they had grown spring feed barley, according to the Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG), the Farmers Journal reported on September 23.

The group said that if the gap between malting and feed barley disappears or “what’s being spoken about where it actually goes into negative territory”, the fundamental economics of the crop have to be questioned.

IGGG highlighted that growing malting barley comes with additional risk and often extra costs.

Farmers are required to grow specific varieties, meet stringent quality specifications and accept the risk that a crop can fail to make malting grade and end up being paid for as feed even though it was managed as a malting barley crop, it said.

Boortmalt’s €10 grain handling charge must be scrapped the group also said, as it could result in a situation where feed barley will give a greater margin per hectare compared to malting barley.

"A farmer cannot be expected to take on the additional risk of producing a premium-quality raw material while receiving no meaningful financial reward for doing so."

The group questioned why, if Irish malting barley is valuable enough to be an essential ingredient in premium Irish products, the farmer producing it is facing a return below that of feed barley in 2026.

Everyone involved in Ireland’s malting, brewing and distilling industries should be concerned, IGGG added.

The group said for “those cheering Donald Trump’s announcement at the 18th hole at the Irish Open a couple [of] weeks' ago about tariffs, would they actually have cheered if they knew what was facing their tillage farming neighbours.”

“A premium product requires a premium margin per hectare.”

“There is a narrow window for malting barley buyers and those who buy from them, to respond to the current position developing when deciding malting prices for 2026. They must act and they need to act now.”


23 September, 2026