What a difference a year makes! This time last year we were still in the grip of a cold, wet spell and the damaging legacy of the ‘beast from the east’. Water tables were full and a lot of land remained to be sown with much of it not being drilled until well into May.
The start of the new year has not been great for brewers and with the current lockdown looking set to continue, the malaise looks set to last for a while yet.
Having now seen a lot of winter barley, both feed and malting, it is clear that the tricky growing season culminating in a wet, dull June has taken the edge off both quality and yields.
To All Growers of Maris Otter Malting Barley With harvest fast approaching please find herewith a few issues to keep abreast of: