IFA Malting Barley Meeting Drives Home Message to Boortmalt

IFA President Francie Gorman said the malting barley growers meeting in Carlow on Monday night sent a very clear message to Boortmalt representatives who attended.

“With over 250 farmers in the room, the frustration and anger were very evident from everyone on the night. Growers have a particular issue with the continued unilateral imposition of the €10/t parity charge,” Francie Gorman said.

“Guinness depends on Irish malting barley. The meeting should be a wake-up call for Boortmalt and Diageo. Growing malting barley in Ireland is not sustainable at current prices,” he said.

IFA Grain Chair John Murphy said the number of growers who stated that they are finished growing malting barley was striking.

“Boortmalt must act and engage quickly to restore confidence amongst growers,” John Murphy said.

“IFA has written to Boortmalt to formally request that they facilitate a meeting between Diageo Ireland, IFA and themselves as a matter of urgency,” IFA President Francie Gorman added.

“The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the viability and sustainability of the Irish malting barley supply. We believe that, as it stands, there is a real possibility that the level of malting barley produced in Ireland could collapse without intervention from Boortmalt to demonstrate to growers that the sector has a future,” he concluded.