Brewers told 'tillage has never been so vulnerable'

“Irish grain growers and their families are a crucial cog in producing over 130,000 tonnes of top-quality barley for this world-renowned brewery. However, our tillage sector on which the supply of this native barley is founded has never been so vulnerable.”

Those were the words of Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) deputy president Alice Doyle while addressing the Diageo/Boortmalt malting barley awards on Wednesday 18 February.

Doyle said farmers are frustrated with their incomes from malting barley while the price of a pint of Guinness increased by 7c earlier this year. The Free-On-Board Creil price on which malting barley prices are based at Boortmalt declined by 23% from January to December last year.

She said: “More of the consumer price paid has to trickle down through the supply chain to the Irish grower urgently.

“Growers need end users such as brewers to make a proper, tangible commitment to the economic sustainability of farmers in 2026. IFA firmly believe that local, traceable Irish barley is central to the heritage and production of Guinness now and into the future.

“To continue doing this, we need to be economically sustainable which is not the case for many of Ireland’s grain growers currently. The announcement last week of a price offer of €225/t for up to 20% of contracts does give a degree of certainty to growers but we strongly hope this is the lowest price we take for malting barley in 2026.

“IFA would urge end users like Diageo to assist maltsters and come forward with a stronger offer for the second fixed price option for harvest 2026.”

Stradbally intake

Last month over 200 growers delivering barley to Stradbally learned their contract had been lost. The vice-president urged Boortmalt and Stradbally Town and Country to find a resolution so that growers would not see their contracts lost.

“History and tradition is important and Stradbally is synonymous with the intake of malting barley for many generations of farmers. We would urge both parties to find a resolution which enables the intake to remain open [for malting barley].”

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that talks are ongoing between Boortmalt and Stradabally Town and Country.