In This Issue:

• US Barley Acreage Intentions Are Down Slightly
• House and Senate Hold Farm Bill Hearings, NBGA Submitting Input
• Global Barley Trade Flows Could Return to Normal
• EPA Decision Would Approve Plant Growth Regulator Use on Barley and Small Grains
• Save the Date- Barley Improvement Conference 2024

Don't forget to make your hotel reservation for the St. Louis meeting

by May 11th!

https://www.druryhotels.com/bookandstay/newreservation/?groupno=10051619

Reservations may also be made by calling 1-800-325-0720

and refer to the group number 10051619.

US Barley Intentions Are Down Slightly

The USDA Prospective Plantings Report released on April 13^th shows farmers intend to plant 2.92 million acres of barley in 2023, down slightly from 2.94 million acres last year. While the national acreage does not change much, the report shows North Dakota planting 610,000 acres in 2023, down 130,000 acres from 2022. Montana acres are ip 60,000 to 1.09 million and Idaho is up 30,000 acres to 590,000 total. Small acreage increases across the United States make up some of the difference created by lower planting in North Dakota.

House and Senate Hold Farm Bill Hearings, NBGA Submitting Input

The House and Senate Agriculture Committees continue to hold hearings and listening sessions on the various titles of the Farm Bill, including Title I Farm Programs and Risk Management. NBGA has been collecting input from members and industry analysts and refining our priorities and requests to share with policymakers. NBGA and other agricultural stakeholders have reiterated the importance of crop insurance as well as improvements to the Title I programs.  

Global Barley Trade Flows Could Return to Normal

Australia and China announced an agreement to resolve their ongoing dispute that has impacted barley trade. After Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of COVID, China responded by imposing anti-dumping duties on Australian wine and barley. Australia said it would suspend its case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's anti-dumping and countervailing duties on barley while China expedites a review of the tariffs. China had imposed 80.5% tariffs on Australian barley for a five-year period, prompting a formal complaint by Australia to the WTO in 2020. The dispute resulted in China importing barley from Canada, France and Argentina while Australian barley shifted to other markets, including Mexico.  

EPA Decision Would Approve Plant Growth

Regulator Use on Barley and Small Grains

On April 26^th the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released for public comment its proposed decision to register the first food uses of the pesticide chlormequat chloride on barley, oat, triticale, and wheat, after finding no dietary or ecological “risks of concern.” This product could provide farmers with an additional tool to help increase crop yield and NBGA has joined with National Association of Wheat Growers on letters to EPA urging them to move forward on their review. Before registering these uses, EPA will need to establish tolerances in or on barley, oat, triticale, and wheat. The pesticide is currently registered for use as a plant growth regulator in ornamentals. It blocks hormones that stimulate growth prior to bloom. In small grains, it “decreases the height of the grain plant stem, resulting in reduced lodging and potentially increased grain yield,” EPA said. Mitigation measures are also being proposed, such as restricted entry for 24 hours into areas that have been sprayed. The Environmental Working Group criticized the proposal citing animal studies they say have shown the chemical is toxic and exhibits neurotoxicity, which are not accounted for in the current EPA risk assessment. There will now be a 30 day public comment period on the proposed decision.



The EPA announcement can be viewed here.

NBGA Board Member Featured for Soil Health Practices

The American Malting Barley Association is excited to announce the return of the Barley Improvement Conference (BIC) to be held at the Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside hotel on January 10-11, 2024. This biennial conference, last held in 2019, has long brought together the best in barley research with the malting, brewing, and distilling industries - hosting a forum for conversation and collaboration.

The theme for the 2024 event: Building Better Barley for a Resilient Future, is bolstered by recent work of AMBA's newly formed Sustainability Task Force and the new Resiliency Initiative of the National Barley Improvement Committee. These two efforts recognize the benefits of barley, but also acknowledges the continual improvements that need to be made in varietal development and management so that a high quality, domestic supply of malting barley can be sustained.

A full program and registration will be released in the coming months, but be sure to save the dates on your calendar!

Tentative program:

• January 10th - technical sessions starting mid-day, followed by a pre-dinner social
• January 11th - technical sessions in the morning, facilitated research-industry discussion in the afternoon, followed by a dinner with guest speaker