2003 MBQC Winners Learn About Malting Barley Industry

The provincial winners of the Barley Development Council’s 2003 Malting Barley Quality Competition (MBQC) saw firsthand how the malting barley they grow is processed domestically and shipped to overseas customers, when they visited facilities near Saskatoon and in Vancouver from March 23 to 25, 2004.

The winners are: Alberta/B.C. two-row winner and grand champion – James and Eileen Stanger of Drumheller, Alberta; Saskatchewan two-row winner – Ron and Glenda St. John from Kindersley; Saskatchewan six-row winner – Ed and Jane Fielder from Spalding; Manitoba two-row winner – Tom and Laureen Fingas from Inglis; and Manitoba six-row winner – Sean Katchin from Angusville. No six-row winner was named for Alberta/B.C.

Their tour included a visit to an Agricore United primary elevator and Prairie Malt Limited in Biggar, Saskatchewan and Great Western Brewing in Saskatoon. They also met with barley breeders from the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan. In Vancouver, the winners toured Coastal Containers Limited, Agricore United’s terminal elevator, the Canadian Wheat Board and Canadian Grain Commission offices and Molson Brewery.

“I was very impressed with the tour,” said James Stanger. “I enjoyed seeing the facilities and welcomed the chance to compare notes with the other farmers.”

The Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI), a strong promoter of Canadian field crops domestically and internationally, organized all winners’ programs in the 2003 MBQC and is proud to be involved with the BDC in the promotion and organization of the competition.

Sponsors of the 2003 Malting Barley Quality Competition include: Gold – The Brewers of Canada and Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute; Silver – Agricore United, Canadian Grain Commission, Canadian Wheat Board and Prairie Malt Limited; Bronze – A.C. Toepfer (Canada) Ltd., BARI-Canada Inc., Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre, Cargill Ag Horizons, Quality Assured Seeds, SeCan Association, Seed-Ex Inc.; and Supporter – Hetland Seeds, N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited, North East Terminal, Parrish & Heimbecker, Ltd., Pioneer Grain Company Ltd., Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and South West Terminal.

The Barley Development Council is an umbrella organization that includes representatives from all aspects of the barley and malting industry in Western Canada. Its goal is to promote development of the western Canadian barley industry.

For further information contact:
Dr. Erin Armstrong
Chair, Malting Barley Quality Competition Committee
Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute
Phone: (204) 927-1407
E-mail: info@bmbri.ca