Kristen Leigh Painter reported late last month at the Minneapolis Star Tribune Online that, “As beer drinkers exchange their American lagers for craft brews, demand for barley has shifted to a version of the crop not often grown in the Midwest.
“It’s a change that recently led Cargill Inc. to decide to close a North Dakota factory that processes barley into malt. The Minnetonka-based agribusiness cited falling demand in the beer industry for six-row barley, the kind North Dakota and Minnesota farmers typically grow.
“Brewers, especially those of the craft-beer persuasion, increasingly favor two-row barley for their beverages. The names refer to the number of rows of kernels around the head of a barley stalk.”
Ms. Painter noted that, “Soil conditions and a more humid climate make it easier to grow six-row barley in North Dakota and Minnesota, and less risky for the growers. Two-row barley is better suited for Western U.S. states, like Idaho, Wyoming and Washington.
“The factory near Jamestown, N.D., can malt both varieties, but there isn’t a robust local supply of two-row barley to keep it busy. As fewer customers asked for six-row malting barley, activity dropped at the plant, leading to last week’s closure decision.
“With the company’s focus on improving the efficiency of its plants and supply chain, a malting facility in North Dakota no longer made sense, Cargill said.”
The Star Tribune article added that, “Among brewers, the shift toward two-row began in earnest about five years ago, said Chris Swersey, a supply chain specialist for Colorado-based Brewers Association.”
