Blow for beer as biofuels clean out barley (less barley planted, more corn)

[Shallah Kali]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7f533724-c507-11db-b110-000b5df10621.html

Barley, which is used for making beer, whisky and animal feed, has seen prices prices soar over the last 12 months.

Futures prices for European malting barley, which is used for brewing and distilling, have risen 85 per cent to more than €230 ($320) a tonne since last May.

Barley feed futures have risen by a third to C$180 ($155) a tonne on the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange over the same period.

Meanwhile, barley production in America fell to 180.05m bushels in 2006, the lowest level since 1936. The value of the crop was the lowest since 1970 – at $498m.

[Vexatious Ape]

1. This is pretty grim news. Not liking it at all.

[dweller]

2. perhaps they'll turn to acre production of something 'greener'

:smoke:

as consumers return to homegrown homebrewing. . . ya never know.
dp

[kestrel91316]

3. IIRC barley requires a cool, moist climate to grow well. Corn likes

heat. I suspect part of the motivation to change crops might be our friend, global warming.

Yeast is cheap. We can all take up home winemaking from whatever fruits grow locally if push comes to shove. And potatoes do make great vodka......

[badgerpup]

4. There's a drive for biodiesel here in my neck of the woods...

Stuff's made from soybeans, which is a lot easier on the soil than corn...it's a nitrogen fixer as well as not requiring anywhere near as much irrigation...
and biodiesel has a POSITIVE energy ratio where corn doesn't. :woohoo: