Barley Production, Barley Nutrient Content, and Quality of Malting Barley in Western Canada 2020

Annual production statistics

The total area planted with barley in Western Canada in 2020 was 2.944 million hectares, slightly higher than in 2019 (Table 2.1). Barley production in Western Canada in 2020, estimated at about 10.416 million tonnes, was approximately 4.2% higher than in 2019 (Table 2.2). The average yield for barley in Western Canada is estimated at 71.8 bushels per acre in 2020, compared to 71.1 bushels per acre in 2019 (Table 2.3 and Figure 2.3).

Compared to last year, 2020 barley seeded area decreased in Saskatchewan by 0.9% and increased in Alberta and Manitoba by 3.1% and 23.5%, respectively (Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1). In 2020, barley production in Manitoba and Alberta (including the northeastern part of British Columbia) increased by 29.7% and 6.5%, respectively, and decreased in Saskatchewan by 1.4% compared to last year (Table 2.2 and Figure 2.2).

Distribution of barley classes and varieties

Barley is a versatile crop grown for malting, food, and general purposes (feed and forage) across the Canadian Prairies. Based on insured commercial acres in 2020, general purpose barley accounted for 49.7% of total barley seeded area in Alberta while malting barley accounted for 46.1% (Figure 2.4, left). In Saskatchewan the majority of barley seeded area (65.4%) was planted with malting barley varieties (Figure 2.4, left). In Manitoba approximately 42.7% of barley seeded area was allocated to malting varieties and 51.7% to general purpose varieties (Figure 2.4, left). Overall, in Western Canada in 2020, barley seeded area was comprised of 53.7% malting barley, 38.5% general purpose barley, and 2.4% food barley (Figure 2.4, right).

In 2020, CDC Copeland, AAC Synergy, and AC Metcalfe dominated the portfolio of malting barley cultivars grown in Western Canada (Table 2.4). The area seeded with CDC Copeland (42.44%) was slightly lower than last year (44.03%). The area seeded with AAC Synergy has been steadily increasing since 2014 and in 2020 it exceeded (22.54%) that of AC Metcalfe (17.66%) for the first time (Figure 2.5). The area planted with recently registered two-rowed cultivars, especially AAC Connect, CDC Bow, CDC Fraser, and Sirish, continued to grow (Figure 2.6). Together they accounted for approximately 11.15% of the total area seeded with malting barley varieties in Western Canada (Table 2.4).

The production of six-rowed malting barley continued to decline. In 2020, the six-rowed cultivars occupied only about 3.32% of the total area seeded with malting barley, compared to 4.01% in 2019. Legacy, Celebration and Tradition remained the top three six-rowed varieties (Table 2.4).

The production of two-rowed cultivars dominated in each province (Table 2.4). In Alberta and British Columbia (BC), CDC Copeland and AAC Synergy were the top two varieties. In Saskatchewan CDC Copeland, followed by AC Metcalfe and AAC Synergy, dominated the area seeded with malting barley. Compared to Alberta and Saskatchewan, the area seeded with malting barley in Manitoba was relatively low. In 2020, the most popular cultivars seeded in Manitoba were AAC Synergy, CDC Copeland, AAC Connect, and AC Metcalfe, followed by Celebration (Table 2.4).

Based on the 2020 insured acreage in Western Canada, food and general purpose barley varieties accounted for 40.9% of total barley seeded area (Figure 2.4 right). CDC Austenson, followed by Brahma, dominated the portfolio of general purpose barley cultivars grown in Western Canada (Table 2.5 and Figure 2.7). CDC Austenson was the top variety grown in every western province in 2020. The area seeded with Champion and Xena continued to decrease in 2020. Canmore, a new variety that can be used for food and feed purposes, has experienced steady growth since 2014 (Figure 2.7).

Table 2.4 Distribution of malting barley cultivars as percentage of total area seeded with malting barley in Western Canada in 2020

Data source: Sask Crop Insurance, Alberta Ag Financial Services Corp, Manitoba Agriculture Services Corporation, and BC Crop Insurance

Table 2.5 Distribution of barley cultivars as percentage of area seeded with general purpose and food (F) barley in Western Canada in 2020

Data source: Sask Crop Insurance, Alberta Ag Financial Services Corp, Manitoba Agriculture Services Corporation, and BC Crop Insurance