Malting Barley Price Disappointing for Growers

Commenting on the announcement by Boortmalt of the final malting barley prices, IFA Grain Chair Kieran McEvoy said it’s a very disappointing outcome for growers who are desperately low on confidence at the moment.

“Linking the malting barley price to the FOB Creil market has delivered significant malting premiums for growers in recent years. However, it has not been immune to the dramatic drop that has occurred in all European grain markets over the last three months,” he said.

“The fixed prices of €230 and €240/t offered to growers for up to 40% of contracted volumes earlier in the season may mitigate the situation for some farmers who took those options. However, the base price of €209/t for brewing barley is the worst since 2020 and significantly lower than the €247.69/t paid last year,” he said. 

Costs of production have increased dramatically since 2020. Teagasc analysis presented at the IFA Tillage Crisis meeting last week showed total variable costs for producing spring barley have increased by 35% since 2021.

2025 has been a tumultuous season for malting growers. Contract cuts in early spring were soon followed by concerns that Boortmalt would purchase no distilling malting barley at all. IFA strongly resisted these moves. 

“Following the push back from IFA, Boortmalt honoured their commitments and took in distilling barley in line with their commitments,” he said.

“Thankfully, brewing demand appears firm. The recently published Irish Beer Market Report states that beer production increased by 11% in 2025.  We would urge Boortmalt and the merchant supply chain to come forward with a fixed price offer for 2026 that gives growers some confidence. This price must reflect the increase in the costs of production,” Kieran McEvoy concluded.