A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY
BY PETER WATTS
When Canadian farmers started growing Harrington barley in the early 1980s, it set a new benchmark for quality. Harrington’s performance in the malthouse and the brewery earned Canada recognition as a global supplier of malting barley. The resulting stronger demand and reliable premium made barley worth seeding.
As the brewing and malting industries expanded in China and Southeast Asia, demand for Canadian barley surged. While its great reputation opened doors, buyers in these markets needed more than its good name. They wanted crop production information, new crop and new variety quality data and malting and brewing trial results to assess the performance of Canadian barley in their systems. Without such data, Canada risked losing its edge.
Twenty-five years ago, this spurred the creation of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC). Leaders from Alberta’s agriculture ministry, the Canadian Grain Commission, the Canadian Wheat Board, Dominion Malting, Richardson International and United Grain Growers came together to build a new facility to support Canadian barley market development.
The CMBTC got off to a tough start. Funding was tight, space limited, no pilot malting system existed that could mimic commercial production and the industry partners had differing priorities that required co-ordination. “Nothing is perfect at square one—you expect it to evolve, but it was a first-class facility,” recalled Jim Venn, then-president of Dominion Malting.
Despite these hurdles, the CMBTC gave farmers, breeders, exporters, maltsters and brewers a place to work together, and its collaborative model remains strong. From the beginning, the Centre delivered the results buyers required. Staff tested new varieties in pilot malting and brewing labs. They conducted crop quality trials and published reports that gave exporters and farmers data to share with international customers. Over time, the Centre developed programs and resources. These include the annual Recommended Malting Barley Varieties list, which assists farmers with seeding decisions; the Malt Academy, which trains brewers, farmers and maltsters; and trade missions and crop tours, which strengthen buyer relationships abroad.
The collaborative nature of the Canadian barley industry sets it apart. Brewers, exporters, farmers, maltsters and researchers come together at the CMBTC. This ability to connect across the value chain has built Canada’s reputation for high quality and reliability.
This year, the CMBTC also marks technical director Yueshu Li’s 25th year of leadership. Completed in 2000, Li designed and built the pilot malting system and labs that gave the Centre its technical foundation. His hard work and technical expertise allowed the CMBTC to generate the high-quality data required to promote Canada as a trusted supplier of malting barley worldwide.
Li has also developed long-term relationships with the Chinese brewing industry, Canada’s largest market. This has built trust with buyers and secured demand for Canadian barley. There is no separating the success of the CMBTC from Li’s contributions.
The work of the CMBTC remains as important today as it was in 2000. With trade and food security top of mind for the federal government, Centre staff understand the advantages of a strong agriculture sector. They focus on maintaining the competitiveness of Canadian barley by protecting access to premium markets, building new opportunities and giving farmers clear information about buyer preferences. “The world is changing, but our purpose remains the same,” said Li.
CMBTC will continue to work across the value chain and around the world. As its industry founders intended 25 years ago, the organization will create new opportunities for Canadian barley and malt in established and emerging markets.
Peter Watts is the CMBTC managing director.
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