BARLEY producers in southern Australia are being confronted with a new quality issue, with excessive numbers of ‘skinnings’ in samples forcing downgrading from malt to feed quality.
The problem has been a big issue in the Wimmera in Victoria, and is particularly prevalent in the Commander variety.
Andrew Gee, executive chairman of Barley Australia, and a long-term member of the barley industry through his former role at Joe White Malting, said he could not remember the last time it was a large-scale issue.
According to Grain Trade Australia’s definition of the problem, skinning are generally caused by mechanical damage, however this year, reports have been that the problem was caused in-crop, due to the soft finish.
The inner seed has grown too big for the protective husk, causing a split in the husk.
Mr Gee said end-users had concerns regarding the grain’s longevity.
Doug Stewart, technical manager for Viterra Malt, also said there could be issues with the germination, while Mr Gee said the husk was used as a primary filter in the brewing process, during the ‘lautering stage’, where the mash is separated into the liquid wort and the residual grain.
He said the husk was used to drain the wort away from the grain.
Farmers have generally been philosophical about the downgrading, due to the fact the spread between malt and feed is down to just $8 a tonne, however there is some cynicism about the magnitude of the problem.
Mr Gee said barley production would be down slightly, due to issues in NSW and WA, however quality and yield had been generally good throughout southern regions.
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