Malting barley quality competition enters eighth year
The Barley Development Council is pleased to hold the eighth annual Malting Barley Quality Competition (MBQC) to recognize western Canadian farmers who grow top quality two-row and six-row malting barley.
Farmers are eligible to enter the competition if they grow two-row or six-row malting barley varieties from the Canadian Malting and Brewing Technical Centre’s 2003-04 Recommended List and their malting barley is selected by October 10, 2003.
“After an extremely difficult 2002 crop year, 2003 is looking much more promising and we hope to see a large increase in the number of entries with the anticipated larger malting barley crop,” said President and CEO of the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute (BMBRI) and MBQC committee chair Dr. Erin Armstrong. “All farmers whose malting barley is selected are eligible to enter the competition.”
To enter the competition, a representative sample (about one pound or four cups) must be appropriately packaged and sent with an entry form to the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute’s Winnipeg office to be received by October 31, 2003. Entry forms are available from all sponsors listed below. In addition, forms will be available from malting barley selectors and Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) Farm Business Representatives, and will be included with this year’s malting barley selection contact letters of confirmation from the CWB, or you can download a PDF version.
Commercial malting barley selectors will judge the entries for two- or six-row malting barley submitted from each crop district. Winning district entries will then be judged to select provincial winners, and an overall grand champion. District and provincial winners will be announced in November. District winners will each receive an expense-paid trip for two to Regina to attend a special program being held in conjunction with Agribition on November 23 and 24, 2003.
“Without malting barley we can’t make beer,” said Scott Brown, chair of the Barley Working Group at The Brewers of Canada, a gold level sponsor. “It is a testament to the heart and dedication of western malt barley farmers, that through two consecutive difficult years they have endeavored to supply the industry. All of us in the beer industry are hoping that farmers have a great year this year – there is no question they deserve it.”
“As a gold level sponsor of the MBQC, the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute wants to stress to malting barley producers how important the quality of Canadian malting barley is to the production of high quality malt and beer,” Armstrong said.
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
