The FOB Creil price will continue to determine the base price for Boortmalt growers, who will now be contracted through “preferred merchants”, Jeff O’ Connor, Boortmalt’s agricultural business manager has confirmed.

The mechanism delivered a record price of €398/t last year, and a record margin over feed price.

Speaking at last week’s national malting barley conference, O’Connor shared Boortmalt’s growth.

Fourth in the world on entering the Irish market a decade ago, it is now the world’s largest maltster, buying over three million tonnes of barley in 2022.

Eoin Lyons of Teagasc presented research showing that min-till could perform as well as plough-based planting for spring malting barley, but a good cover crop was important to it’s health.

Direct drilling failed to perform adequately in the same conditions.

Rebecca Bayley, who has succeeded Lyons as co-ordinator of the Boortmalt/Teagasc research programme, showed that plant growth regulators only improved yield where establishment was below target.

Wheat in drinks industry

DABBING CAP is a project to increase the use of Irish wheat in the drinks industry.

Stephen Whelan, of South East Technical University (SETU) running the project, told the conference that the project’s name refers to Distilling And Brewing BuildING CAPacity.

A packed Newpark Hotel for the IFA meeting to discuss Tirlán's fixed milk price schemes.

The project, run in conjunction with Technological University Dublin (TUD) and Teagasc, is halfway through its four-year cycle.

Preliminary findings show that soft wheats are better for distilling. Suitable varieties are capable of delivering similar alcohol volumes to maize and rye. “The hope is to find a happy medium between a variety that performs well in the field, as well in the distillery,” Whelan said.

Lisa Ryan, who is heading up the new National Centre for Brewing and Distilling in Oakpark, gave a quick virtual tour of the micro maltings, kiln, mash bath and micro distillery already in place and operational.

David Walsh of Ballykilcavan explained how little malt microbreweries need. He uses 15 tonnes of barley a year in his own brewery and sells the rest.