1 | Highlights
2 | Barley and malt
06
Highlights of purchases made
by breweries in Europe (EU-27)
The main ingredients of beer are from an agricultural
origin : malting barley and hops.
Europe is one of the main worldwide producers of
barley and hops, and also has the world’s largest
malting industry; a strong brewing sector being the
main reason for this.
Prices of agricultural products have risen in recent
years. Because of the small margins on beer,
in most cases this increase has led to an increase
in beer prices.
Beer is produced from raw materials of agricultural origin.
The key components of beer are water, cereals, hops
and yeast. Of these four ingredients, cereals, particularly
malting barley, are of major importance.
Before malting barley is used for the production of beer it
is normally malted. Malting is the controlled germination of
cereals to convert stored starch to fermentable sugars and
to release enzymes that will be used in the brewing process.
Total world barley production fell sharply in 2010. In EU27,
barley production fell from 65 million tonnes in 2008/2009
to 53 million tonnes in 2010/2011 (see table 6.2). The poor
harvest in 2010 was responsible for this decrease.
In 2011 the sector was also confronted with the effects
of the poor 2010 harvest in the Ukraine and Russia, where
severe drought cut grain production.
23
Barley production in Europe
Total barley production in the EU-27 is approximately 54
mtonnes
21
. Around twenty percent of barley production is
estimated to be used for malting barley. The table below
provides information on the fve key countries producing
malting barley in the European Union. In 2010, Euromalt
22
estimated a European production of eleven million tonnes
on average per year. According to Euromalt, this provides
a part of the income for more than 150.000 farmers in the
greater Europe.
Total barley
production
(tonnes)
Malting
barley
(%)
Malting barley
production
(tonnes)
France
10,169,175
37%
3,762,595
UK
5,375,250
39%
2,096,348
Germany
10,077,440
13%
1,310,067
Denmark
3,416,250
30%
1,024,875
Czech
Republic
1,679,350
42%
705,327
21
Datasheet Euromalt, (2011/2012 crop estimates), EU27+4 (Croatia, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey) production for 2011/2012 is estimated on 61,5 million tonnes of barley.
22
Euromalt is the association representing the interests of the malting industry in the European Union.
23
Guardian, Rain brings some relief to parched W-Europe wheat, 31 May 2011, http ://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/9672654
›
Source : Euromalt
›
Table 6.1./ Key players of malting barley in Europe
(2011/2012 estimates)
43
Agricultural products