Quality of western Canadian barley in 2023: Summary, growing conditions and production
ISSN 1182-4417
Summary
In 2023, the total area seeded with barley in western Canada was 2.881 million hectares. The total barley production is estimated at 8.707 million tonnes, approximately 10% lower than last year. This year’s hot and dry growing conditions resulted in a relatively low barley yield.
In 2023, AAC Synergy was the most popular malting barley variety seeded in western Canada. The area seeded with CDC Copeland continued to decline. The popularity of newer varieties, such as AAC Connect, CDC Fraser and CDC Churchill, increased noticeably. The area seeded with AC Metcalfe declined to approximately 4% of the area seeded with malting barley.
The hot and dry growing conditions in 2023 had some effect on the physical characteristics and composition of barley grain but overall, the quality of malting barley this year was good. The average protein content was 12.3%, which is the same as last year’s average but slightly higher than the 10-year average (11.9%). The average test weight was 65.0 kg/hL, which is lower than last year’s average (66.7 kg/hL) and the 10-year average (66.9 kg/hL). The average 1000 kernel weight was 46.8 g, which is higher than last year’s average (45.0 g) and the 10-year average (45.7 g). The newer varieties, such as AAC Connect, AAC Synergy, CDC Fraser and CDC Churchill that have kernels larger than AC Metcalfe and CDC Copeland, contributed to the overall high average kernel weight.
Rainy conditions in August caused some pre-harvest sprouting in this year’s barley. In the fall of 2023, however, barley exhibited an excellent average germination energy (98%) with no water sensitivity.
The combination of lower test weight, lower grain density and lower kernel hardness in 2023 barley contributed to easy and quick water absorption during steeping. Well-modified malt was obtained from 2023 barley with high friability and adequate levels of enzymes (diastatic power and α-amylase), soluble proteins and free amino nitrogen (FAN). Wort was characterized by low levels of β-glucans and very good (low) viscosity values. Malt made from 2023 barley generally resulted in average levels of extract with expected differences in extract levels among different Canadian malting varieties.
Growing and harvesting conditions
In 2023, seeding in western Canada started relatively late due to a cold and delayed spring. In May, however, the average temperature was well above normal (Figure 1.1) and the barley crop was planted in a timely manner. Soil dryness was a great concern (Figure 1.5). Aside from southeast and parts of south-central Saskatchewan, western Canada was well below normal precipitation this spring (Figure 1.9). The hot and dry conditions predominated in June across the Prairies (Figures 1.2, 1.6 and 1.10).
Soil moisture (Figure 1.7) and precipitation (Figure 1.11) were lacking but a stretch of relatively cooler temperatures during a portion of July (Figure 1.3) helped relieve some crop stress, as did haze from wildfire smoke. Harvest started relatively early in August. Overall, crop development was ahead of normal across a good portion of the Prairies due to the hot and dry conditions throughout much of the season. This allowed for an initial early start to harvest. Occasional rain in August (Figure 1.12) prevented the harvest from being completed in a timely manner. The rain in August also caused some pre-harvest sprouting. Overall, the hot and dry conditions have significantly reduced the barley yield this year.
Figure 1.1 May 2023
Figure 1.2 June 2023
Figure 1.3 July 2023
Figure 1.4 August 2023
Source
Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Science and Technology Branch. Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Provincial and private agencies. Produced using near real-time data that has undergone some quality control. The accuracy of this map varies due to data availability and potential data errors.
© 2023 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Figure 1.5 May 15, 2023
Figure 1.6 June 26, 2023
Figure 1.7 July 31, 2023
Figure 1.8 August 31, 2023
Source
Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Science and Technology Branch. Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Provincial and private agencies. Produced using near real-time data that has undergone some quality control. The accuracy of this map varies due to data availability and potential data errors.
© 2023 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Figure 1.9 May 2023
Figure 1.10 June 2023
Figure 1.11 July 2023
Figure 1.12 August 2023
Source
Prepared by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Science and Technology Branch. Data provided through partnership with Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Provincial and private agencies. Produced using near real-time data that has undergone some quality control. The accuracy of this map varies due to data availability and potential data errors.
© 2023 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Barley production in 2023
Annual production statistics
In 2023, the total area seeded with barley in western Canada was 2.881 million hectares. This is about 4% higher than last year and 8% higher than the 10-year average (2.676 million hectares) (Table 2.1). Barley production in western Canada in 2023 is estimated at 8.707 million tonnes. This is approximately 10% lower than last year but 2% higher than the 10-year average (Table 2.2). The unfavorable growing conditions in 2023 resulted in a low barley yield of 61.3 bushels per acre (BPA) and contributed to a lower than anticipated barley production in 2023 (Table 2.3 and Figure 2.3).
Graph data
| Year | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Western Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1.497 | 1.024 | 0.206 | 2.754 |
| 2014 | 1.315 | 0.818 | 0.130 | 2.284 |
| 2015 | 1.416 | 0.947 | 0.182 | 2.570 |
| 2016 | 1.382 | 1.002 | 0.168 | 2.575 |
| 2017 | 1.153 | 0.941 | 0.107 | 2.219 |
| 2018 | 1.260 | 1.089 | 0.131 | 2.501 |
| 2019 | 1.442 | 1.275 | 0.136 | 2.878 |
| 2020 | 1.482 | 1.264 | 0.168 | 2.944 |
| 2021 | 1.565 | 1.500 | 0.167 | 3.262 |
| 2022 | 1.438 | 1.126 | 0.171 | 2.761 |
| 2023 | 1.552 | 1.135 | 0.168 | 2.881 |
Graph data
| Year | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Western Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 5.545 | 3.412 | 0.757 | 9.800 |
| 2014 | 4.131 | 2.173 | 0.355 | 6.702 |
| 2015 | 4.289 | 2.863 | 0.599 | 7.819 |
| 2016 | 4.398 | 3.375 | 0.588 | 8.419 |
| 2017 | 3.906 | 3.135 | 0.438 | 7.516 |
| 2018 | 3.996 | 3.439 | 0.501 | 7.997 |
| 2019 | 4.955 | 4.449 | 0.529 | 9.996 |
| 2020 | 5.283 | 4.385 | 0.686 | 10.420 |
| 2021 | 3.648 | 2.499 | 0.439 | 6.650 |
| 2022 | 5.381 | 3.551 | 0.657 | 9.666 |
| 2023 | 4.751 | 3.227 | 0.665 | 8.707 |
Graph data
| Year | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 75.6 | 66.1 | 75.5 |
| 2014 | 66.3 | 53.7 | 58.2 |
| 2015 | 68.3 | 60.7 | 68.8 |
| 2016 | 75.9 | 69.8 | 72.0 |
| 2017 | 71.8 | 66.4 | 80.4 |
| 2018 | 66.8 | 62.7 | 75.3 |
| 2019 | 72.4 | 69.3 | 76.9 |
| 2020 | 74.0 | 68.7 | 79.9 |
| 2021 | 47.4 | 35.5 | 54.8 |
| 2022 | 75.9 | 63.4 | 74.3 |
| 2023 | 62.9 | 57.4 | 75.4 |
Distribution of barley classes and varieties
Barley is grown across the Canadian Prairies and is used for malting, food and general purposes (feed and forage). Based on insured commercial acres in 2023, Alberta remains the biggest producer of barley in western Canada, followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba (Figure 2.4). The distribution of barley classes in each province in 2023 was similar to that observed in 2022 (Figure 2.4). More than 50% of the area seeded with barley in western Canada in 2023 was in Alberta. The area seeded with general-purpose barley in Alberta (28.0%) exceeded that seeded with malting barley (22.1%). Saskatchewan accounted for approximately 42% of the area seeded with barley in western Canada. The area seeded with malting barley in Saskatchewan (23.5%) surpassed that seeded with general purpose barley (13.0%). Manitoba remains the smallest producer of barley in western Canada and accounts for approximately 6.5% of the total area seeded with barley on the Prairies. CDC Austenson, a general purpose barley, was the most popular variety seeded in western Canada in 2023, followed by the malting varieties AAC Synergy, CDC Copeland, AAC Connect, Sirish and CDC Fraser (Figure 2.5). The other popular general purpose varieties were Brahma and Esma.
Graph data
| Location | Malting | Food | General purpose | Not specified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 22.1 | 2.1 | 27.6 | 0.1 |
| Saskatchewan | 22.6 | 0.1 | 12.6 | 4.9 |
| Manitoba | 2.9 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 0.1 |
| Location | Malting | Food | General purpose | Not specified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 22.1 | 1.5 | 28.0 | 0.1 |
| Saskatchewan | 23.5 | 0.1 | 13.0 | 4.0 |
| Manitoba | 2.4 | 0.2 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
Graph data
| Variety | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC Austenson | 16.49 | 18.56 | 21.65 | 20.42 | 18.74 |
| AAC Synergy | 10.92 | 12.79 | 14.89 | 14.46 | 16.29 |
| CDC Copeland | 25.05 | 24.07 | 18.40 | 15.81 | 11.30 |
| AAC Connect | 1.17 | 2.95 | 4.57 | 4.91 | 6.23 |
| Sirish | 0.19 | 0.89 | 2.56 | 3.83 | 6.14 |
| Brahma | 4.45 | 4.75 | 4.99 | 4.65 | 3.97 |
| Esma | NS | 0.004 | 0.13 | 1.22 | 3.65 |
| CDC Fraser | 13.48 | 10.02 | 5.92 | 4.66 | 1.88 |
| AC Metcalfe | 0.30 | 0.95 | 1.74 | 1.92 | 3.21 |
Distribution of malting varieties
In 2023, AAC Synergy was the most popular variety of malting barley grown in western Canada (Figure 2.6, Table 2.4). The area seeded with AAC Synergy accounted for 32% of the area seeded with all malting varieties in western Canada. The area seeded with CDC Copeland (22%) substantially decreased compared to 2022 (Figure 2.6). The other popular malting varieties in 2023 were AAC Connect (12.3%) and CDC Fraser (6.3%). CDC Churchill is also becoming a popular variety whose acreage increased to 3.05% in 2023 from 0.93% in 2022. The area seeded with Sirish, a malting variety registered in 2017, continues to increase, although this variety is used mostly for general purposes. The areas seeded with AC Metcalfe and CDC Bow continued to decrease, whereas the areas seeded with CDC Copper and Bill Coors 100 remained stable and were similar to last year’s estimates (Fig. 2.6, Table 2.4). In 2023, six-rowed varieties accounted for approximately 2.7% of the total area seeded with malting barley, similar to last year’s estimates. Legacy, Celebration and Tradition remained the top six-rowed varieties (Table 2.4).
Graph data
| Variety | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC Copeland | 46.31 | 44.03 | 42.44 | 34.69 | 31.20 | 22.33 |
| AC Meltcalfe | 29.79 | 23.70 | 17.66 | 11.15 | 9.20 | 3.72 |
| AAC Synergy | 11.22 | 19.20 | 22.54 | 28.08 | 28.50 | 32.19 |
| AAC Connect | 0.77 | 2.06 | 5.19 | 8.62 | 9.70 | 12.30 |
| Sirish | 0.02 | 0.33 | 1.58 | 4.84 | 7.60 | 12.12 |
| CDC Bow | 0.91 | 2.01 | 2.71 | 2.69 | 1.80 | 0.86 |
| CDC Fraser | 0.03 | 0.53 | 1.67 | 3.28 | 3.80 | 6.35 |
| CDC Copper | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.12 | 0.92 | 1.30 | 1.36 |
| CDC Churchill | NS | NS | 0.02 | 0.26 | 0.90 | 3.05 |
| Bill Coors 100 | NS | 0.05 | 0.15 | 0.25 | 0.61 | 0.60 |
Table 2.4 Distribution of malting barley varieties as a percentage (%) of area seeded with malting barley in western Canada in 2023Footnote3
| Malting barley varieties, 2-rowed | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Western Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAC Synergy | 11.73 | 18.64 | 1.65 | 32.19 |
| CDC Copeland | 10.15 | 11.70 | 0.31 | 22.33 |
| AAC Connect | 3.77 | 6.99 | 1.39 | 12.30 |
| Sirish | 11.49 | 0.34 | 0.08 | 12.12 |
| CDC Fraser | 1.29 | 4.77 | 0.29 | 6.35 |
| AC Metcalfe | 1.73 | 1.61 | 0.23 | 3.72 |
| CDC Churchill | 1.73 | 1.17 | 0.15 | 3.05 |
| CDC Copper | 1.09 | 0.16 | 0.07 | 1.36 |
| CDC Bow | 0.56 | 0.25 | 0.03 | 0.86 |
| Bill Coors 100 | 0.53 | 0.07 | 0.00 | 0.60 |
| Cerveza | 0.39 | 0.13 | 0.03 | 0.55 |
| Newdale | 0.12 | 0.19 | 0.23 | 0.54 |
| CDC Goldstar | 0.00 | 0.35 | 0.00 | 0.35 |
| Bentley | 0.23 | 0.03 | 0.00 | 0.26 |
| AB Brewnet | 0.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.20 |
| CDC Platinumstar | 0.00 | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.13 |
| Harrington | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.09 |
| CDC Kendall | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Other | 0.18 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.22 |
| Total | 45.25 | 46.69 | 4.44 | 97.29 |
| Malting barley varieties, 6-rowed | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Western Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | 0.30 | 1.56 | 0.03 | 1.89 |
| Celebration | 0.00 | 0.14 | 0.32 | 0.46 |
| Tradition | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Other | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.03 | 0.24 |
| Total | 0.39 | 1.81 | 0.50 | 2.71 |
Distribution of general purpose and food barley varieties
Based on the 2023 insured acreage in western Canada, food (F) and general purpose (GP) barley varieties accounted for approximately 47% of the total area seeded with barley (Figure 2.4). CDC Austenson continued to predominate the area seeded with GP barley varieties; however, the area seeded with this variety has continued to decrease since 2021 (Table 2.5 and Figure 2.7). The area seeded with Brahma, Oreana, Claymore, Canmore, Champion and CDC Coalition decreased slightly in 2023 compared to 2022. The acreage of CDC Maverick in 2023 remained similar to that in 2022. The acreage of several newer GP varieties, such as Altorado, AB Advantage, AB Hague and AB Prime increased in 2023 compared to 2022 (Figure 2.7).
Graph data
| Variety | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC Austenson | 40.42 | 42.90 | 46.10 | 41.45 | 37.95 |
| Brahma | 10.91 | 11.00 | 10.63 | 9.43 | 8.04 |
| Esma | NS | NS | 0.27 | 2.47 | 7.38 |
| Oreana | 2.48 | 4.10 | 7.12 | 6.83 | 5.82 |
| Claymore | 2.52 | 4.69 | 6.04 | 5.88 | 5.40 |
| CDC Maverick | 3.68 | 3.86 | 3.49 | 4.87 | 4.67 |
| Canmore | 5.54 | 5.70 | 5.04 | 5.12 | 3.81 |
| Altorado | NS | 0.03 | 1.11 | 2.21 | 4.62 |
| Champion | 6.64 | 5.34 | 3.53 | 3.57 | 2.78 |
| AB Advantage | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.76 | 1.33 | 2.03 |
| CDC Coalition | 5.03 | 4.70 | 3.65 | 2.81 | 1.97 |
| CDC Cowboy | 2.74 | 1.86 | 1.46 | 1.77 | 1.70 |
| AB Cattlelac | 0.13 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.35 | 1.27 |
| AB Hague | NS | NS | 0.01 | 0.13 | 0.96 |
| AB Prime | NS | NS | 0.02 | 0.06 | 0.51 |
| General purpose and food barley varieties, 2-rowed | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Western Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC Austenson | 16.25 | 15.84 | 5.44 | 37.95 |
| Brahma | 7.75 | 0.15 | 0.00 | 8.04 |
| Esma | 6.45 | 0.19 | 0.71 | 7.38 |
| Oreana | 4.98 | 0.80 | 0.04 | 5.82 |
| Claymore | 2.47 | 2.60 | 0.32 | 5.40 |
| CDC Maverick | 1.53 | 2.99 | 0.14 | 4.67 |
| Altorado | 3.70 | 0.92 | 0.00 | 4.62 |
| Canmore (F) | 3.26 | 0.23 | 0.32 | 3.81 |
| Conlon | 2.04 | 0.19 | 1.52 | 3.75 |
| Xena | 2.75 | 0.14 | 0.00 | 2.88 |
| Champion | 2.22 | 0.52 | 0.04 | 2.78 |
| AB Advantage | 1.05 | 0.90 | 0.04 | 2.03 |
| CDC Coalition | 1.97 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.97 |
| CDC Cowboy | 0.88 | 0.82 | 0.00 | 1.70 |
| AB Cattelac | 0.81 | 0.32 | 0.14 | 1.27 |
| AB Hague | 0.45 | 0.51 | 0.00 | 0.96 |
| AB Prime | 0.51 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.51 |
| KWS Kellie | 0.47 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.47 |
| AB Wrangler | 0.24 | 0.16 | 0.00 | 0.41 |
| Ponoka | 0.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.30 |
| LG Diablo | 0.28 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.28 |
| Gadsby | 0.26 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.26 |
| Richer | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.26 | 0.26 |
| Seebe | 0.26 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.26 |
| Amisk | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.24 |
| CDC Thompson | 0.24 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.24 |
| AB Tofield | 0.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.22 |
| AC Rosser | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.00 | 0.21 |
| CDC Trey | 0.15 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| AB Standswell | 0.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Other | 0.64 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 0.99 |
| Total | 62.58 | 27.73 | 9.06 | 100.00 |