“‘Sustainability’ is the word you’re using all the time, but we’re still being forced to grow old varieties.” One frustrated farmer made this statement at the IFA malting barley meeting.

“They’re maybe not the best varieties for sustainability, but there must be something special about them that you want them.”

He was one of a number of growers who brought up varieties as an issue.

Growers’ main issue was with Planet, which was first recommended in 2017, and Laureate, which is no longer on the Department’s recommended list.

Boortmalt’s Johnny Roberts said it provides varieties that its customers want to use.

Another grower said: “It’s doing it for the brewers and the distillers. It’s not doing it for us. We’re spending more every year to stand still.

“We’re growing old varieties that are costing more and it’s your job to impart that on the maltsters that it’s not working for us.”