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Our Industry: Grains - Barley
BARLEY
What It Is,
How It's Marketed
and How It's Used
Barley, which originated in the Middle East as a wild grass, was believed to be the first cereal crop by many ancient religions. For the ancient Greeks, it was the cereal gift of the goddess Ceres. Among the ancient Egyptians, barley was grown in mud from the Nile River and held in pottery trays shaped in the form of the god Isis; the germinating grain symbolized his return to life.
In the period 10,000 to 8,000 B.C., semi-nomadic hunters gathered wild cereals like barley and wheat. Eventually, the cultivation of barley spread to China, Japan and Northern Europe. English and Spanish settlers introduced barley to North and South America.
Today, because of its ability to adapt to adverse climates, barley is grown over much of the world. It is one of the most productive of the cool-season cereal grains in moisture-short or dryland areas. Total world production has been about 165 million metric tons in recent years. The world's leading producers of barley are the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Community (particularly Germany, France, Britain, Spain and Denmark), Eastern Europe (especially Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania) and Canada.
The United States is a relatively minor producer of barley compared to other nations, growing only about 6 percent of the world crop. Barley production is centered in the Northern and Pacific Northwest states, as well as California.
The Many Varieties of Barley
Barley is one of the four major feed grains grown in the United States. It is a hearty plant, able to withstand many different growing conditions. However, barley is least tolerant of hot, humid conditions, which makes it unsuitable for the subtropical regions of the Southeastern United States.
There are many different varieties of barley grown in the United States. But there are two basic types, which are classified based on the number of rows of grain seen when the heads of the stalks are viewed from above. The two types are:
Two-row barley,
named because there are two rows of barley kernels on the head of the
stalk. Each stalk produces between 15 and 30 kernels.
Six-row barley,
named because the head of the stalk contains six rows of barley kernels.
Each stalk produces between 25 and 60 kernels.
The varieties may be either malting or non-malting.
The Barley Plant -- Stages of Life
Barley is planted either as a winter or summer crop.
Planting:
In the northern states, where winters are severe, barley is planted in
April or May as a summer crop. In the warmer regions, barley is planted
between mid-September and November.
Dormancy:
Fall-planted barley lies dormant during the winter months.
Harvesting: Spring-planted
barley is harvested in the fall. Fall-planted barley is harvested in June. A
combine is used to harvest the crop.
Barley -- Its Journey to Market
The method used to market barley depends upon where it is grown and the variety being produced.
In the United States, barley is used in the following ways:
Feed for livestock
and poultry: 57 percent.
Food, alcohol
(including malting) and industrial uses: About 40 percent.
Seed: About 3
percent.
Producing malting barley requires special management skill in growing and harvesting the crop. That's because the malting industry has established rigid grading specifications that the barley must meet if it is to qualify.
Malting barley must have the following characteristics:
Uniform high
quality
Plump
Relatively free
of broken and skinned kernels
Bright in color
However, most of the barley grown in the United States is used as feed for livestock.
The barley crop sold by the farmer is trucked to the country elevator located near the farm. The areas where barley is utilized tend to be centralized in the areas where it is grown. If sold to a country elevator, the elevator determines the quality of the barley before cleaning, drying, storing and conditioning it. The country elevator also is where the farmer typically obtains the supplies -- such as seed, fertilizer and chemicals -- needed to grow the crop.
The elevator then sells the barley to a buyer. If the barley is malting quality, it may be sold to a brewmaster or food processor. If the barley is feed quality, it may be sold to a feed manufacturer.
In some cases, the barley may be sold to a terminal elevator -- a large multi-million bushel grain handling facility located in such major marketing areas. The terminal elevator, in turn, grades, stores and conditions the barley before selling and shipping it to the brewmaster (if malting quality) or to a feed manufacturer (if feed quality) or to an export elevator, which sells the commodity to an overseas customer. However, the export market for U.S. barley is relatively minor compared to other major grains, such as corn, wheat and soybeans.
When entering into a contract for barley, the buyer and seller agree on the price, quantity and quality of grain to be delivered; and the price discounts or premiums that will apply if the actual barley shipped is of a higher or lower quality than requested. The buyer and seller also determine how the grain is to be shipped (by rail, barge or truck).
Barley -- How It's Transformed into Useful Products
Barley is rich in starch and sugar, and low in fat and protein. Before it can be used as feed or food, or as a malt, barley must be processed:
For feed, barley
is cleaned and cracked through the milling process. The degree to which the
barley is milled depends on which animals are to be fed and whether the barley
is to be fed by itself or mixed with other grains in a feed ration.
- For sheep, barley can be fed whole.
- For cattle, pigs and other livestock, the barley is broken before feeding by running it through a "roller" mill or "hammermill." The mill rotates rapidly around a central shaft to smash the grain into small pieces. The barley also may be "flaked" by steam-heated rollers. The milling process helps increase the digestibility of the barley. The broken grain can be fed wet, or after cooking. Or it can be blended into mixed feeds.
For human food,
barley also is processed.
- The husks and dust are removed and directed to animal feed.
- The inner kernel is cleaned and mildly scoured before processing. The barley also may be bleached (using sulphur dioxide or bisulphate) and steamed.
- The barley then is stored for 12 to 24 hours.
- The barley then is milled. The bran is removed with forced air or by sieving.
As a human food, barley is found in such items as:
- breakfast cereals.
- a thickening and flavoring agent (malt extract) in soups, gravy, casseroles, baby foods and ice cream.
- a rice substitute, manufactured through a milling process that removes the hulls and bran layers.
- a flour in breads for those alergic to wheat.
For industrial products,
such as industrial alcohol.