Gitnux/Report 2026

Barley Industry Statistics

The global barley market is projected to reach $155.2 billion in 2026, explore growth, company footprints and trade or demand drivers behind the 2026 figures.
188Statistics
83Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
37mRead
Barley Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The barley industry at a glance

Global barley production is projected at 152.94 million metric tons in 2025/26, with feed, malting and brewing demand shaped by regional harvests, declining U.S. beer output and trade-policy changes.

152.94M tonnes[65]
Global production, 2025/26 projection
3.4%[66]
Market CAGR, 2026–2033
80.9M tonnes[67]
Europe production, 2024
6% decline[48]
U.S. beer output, 2025/26
Market size
The global barley market was estimated at $151.0 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $155.2 billion in 2026, according to Grand View Research. The physical market is represented by projected global production of 152.94 million metric tons in 2025/26.[66][65]
Forecast & CAGR
Grand View Research forecasts the global barley market to grow from $155.2 billion in 2026 to $196.4 billion in 2033, equivalent to a 3.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033. USDA projects global barley production of 149.82 million metric tons for 2025/26 in its November estimate and 152.94 million metric tons in the December projection shown in the table.[66][65]
Market share & regions
Europe produced 80.9 million tonnes in 2024, or approximately 57% of global barley output of 142.0 million tonnes. The European Union accounted for about 49.0 million tonnes, while the United States produced 3.13 million tonnes.[67][68]
Segmentation
Barley is segmented by type and end use, including hulled barley, grits, flakes and flour, with applications in animal feed, food and beverages, personal care and pharmaceuticals. In the U.S., USDA identifies food, seed and industrial uses alongside feed and residual use; projected 2026/27 food, seed and industrial use is 110 million bushels and feed and residual use is 25 million bushels.[66][48]
Key players & concentration
Production is geographically dispersed, although Russia, Australia, Germany, France, Canada, Turkey, Spain and the United Kingdom are among the leading producing countries. The 2024 country distribution reported from FAOSTAT assigns Russia 12% of world production and Australia 9.3%, indicating that no single producer dominates the global supply base.[69][67]
Pricing
The USDA projected the U.S. barley season-average farm price at $5.45 per bushel for 2025/26 in its April 2026 outlook. USDA’s September 2026 agricultural-prices release also reports state and national feed-barley prices received for September 2026.[48][64]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Global 2026/27 barley production forecasts were raised in September 2026, mainly because Australia’s expected output increased by 3 million metric tons on improved yield expectations. The sector still faces weather volatility, competition from wheat, canola and pulses for acreage, and weaker U.S. brewing demand.[48][69]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is divided among animal feed, malting and brewing, and food ingredients. In the United States, beer production fell 6% in 2025/26 from 2024/25, marking the fifth consecutive annual decline and contributing to a projected record-low 2026/27 food, seed and industrial barley-use total.[48]
M&A
RAGT completed its acquisition of Syngenta’s two-row malting-barley seed business on December 30, 2025, including the Market Stainton breeding site in the United Kingdom. The transaction expands RAGT’s malting-barley breeding and seed portfolio serving brewers, maltsters and distillers.[70]
Regulation
The European Union adopted higher tariffs on agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, with the cited EU regulation specifying a 50% ad valorem duty from January 1, 2026 for relevant products. In June 2025, the Council stated that the measure covered Russian and Belarusian agricultural products and fertilizers to reduce import dependence and reinforce food security.[71][72]
Latest news
The October 2026 USDA Feed Outlook reported that lower U.S. barley production led to higher projected 2026/27 imports of 15 million bushels and lower exports of 5 million bushels. The same report said U.S. beer production in 2025/26 was 6% below 2024/25 and the lowest for any marketing year covered by the full TTB series.[48]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Barley Industry

The leading companies in the barley industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Cargill stands out for barley sourcing, processing and distribution because its grain business sources, processes and distributes agricultural commodities including barley, while Bunge focuses on barley merchandising since its grain segment buys, stores, transports and markets commodities including barley.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in barley trading

    Cargill

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Barley trading

    Why we picked it: Cargill’s grain business covers end-to-end barley flow from sourcing through processing and distribution, and it reported revenue growth of 6.5%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cargill.com ↗

  2. Leader in barley export handling

    CBH Group

    AU

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Barley export handling

    Why we picked it: CBH Group runs a large Australian export footprint and handles barley for brewers, distillers and stock-feed users.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cbh.com.au ↗

  3. Leader in malting

    Rahr Malting

    US

    Ranked #5 · 8.8 · Malting

    Why we picked it: Rahr Malting’s Shakopee malt houses provide high-volume malt production, at 460,000 metric tonnes annually.

    See in ranking ↓Visit rahrmaltingco.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the barley industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Cargill

Barley trading · US

9.6
2

Bunge

Barley trading · CH

9.0
3

CBH Group

Barley export handling · AU

8.9
4

Richardson International

Barley export handling · CA

8.8
5

Rahr Malting

Malting · US

8.8
6

Soufflet Malt

Global malting and malting barley supply · FR

8.7
7

GrainCorp

Australian grain handling, trading and malt · AU

8.5
8

Malteurop

Global malting and malt ingredients · FR

8.4
9

Viking Malt

Northern European malting and barley sourcing · FI

8.0
10

Simpsons Malt

UK malting and directly contracted barley · GB

7.2

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the barley industry. In Barley Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/barley-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Barley production

European Union leads with 56,399 thousand metric tons.

European Union56,399 thousand metric tons
Russia19,400 thousand metric tons
Australia16,626 thousand metric tons
Canada9,725 thousand metric tons
Ukraine5,600 thousand metric tons
Turkey5,100 thousand metric tons
source-verifiedapps.fas.usda.gov

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Digital intensity is moving upward in EU food manufacturing, while barley traceability and farm-to-bottle experiences show measurable engagement time after rollout in France.

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[1]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[1]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[1]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[2]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[1]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[3]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[3]
  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[3]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[3]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[3]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[3]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[4]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[1]
  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[3]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[1]

Blockchain in the barley industry

  • 100% of Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde’s barley malt will be sourced through a responsible and regenerative agriculture chain from 2026, using Soufflet Malt’s blockchain traceability system in France.[5]
  • 112 farms supplied the Italian barley used in Birra Peroni’s blockchain-traceable beer supply chain in 2021.[6]
  • 51,477 tonnes of Italian barley malt were produced for Birra Peroni’s blockchain-traceable supply chain in 2021.[6]
  • 370,000 users accessed the blockchain-enabled traceability experience for Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde after its rollout in French cafés, hotels and restaurants in 2025.[5]

IoT in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among agri-food companies investing more than 30% of annual turnover in digital technologies, 5.41% prioritised Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[1]
  • Across EU farms with livestock, about 11% used animal-welfare or health-monitoring systems in 2023.[3]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 10% used Internet of Things technologies in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 24% used Internet of Things technologies in 2024, up from 10% in 2023.[1]

Innovation in the barley industry

  • 31,212 cultivated and wild barley accessions are maintained by the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Small Grains Collection for barley improvement.[7]
  • 8.3% of general-purpose, non-malt barley acres in Western Canada used Western Crop Innovations varieties in 2025.[8]
  • 1.02% per year was the average grain-yield improvement of Australian conventional barley varieties released between 2000 and 2022.[9]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Barley adoption of data platforms and operational governance is constrained by data quality, where 44% of manufacturers reported AI project failures due to poor data quality in 2025.

Business intelligence in the barley industry

  • More than 22,000 farmers in 14 countries were engaged by AB InBev’s SmartBarley data platform in 2021.[10]
  • 40 members of Anglia Maltings’ ABC Group supplied data covering 50,000 tonnes of malting barley for its initial farm emissions and nitrogen-efficiency analysis.[11]
  • 33 farms supplied real-world production data for the American Malting Barley Association’s U.S. barley emissions baseline project.[7]

Data analytics in the barley industry

  • 1 hertz was the measurement frequency used by optical and speed sensors to record barley yield-monitoring data in a variable-rate nitrogen case study.[12]
  • 13–14% of mean yield was the within-season prediction error reported for an Algeria barley-yield forecasting model using climate and remote-sensing data.[13]
  • 6- and 12-metre input resolutions produced the strongest random-forest performance for mapping barley-yield variation in a 2025 study.[14]
  • 5%–10% was the reported nine-month-ahead prediction error range for a barley-yield forecasting model evaluated in Ethiopia and Kenya.[13]

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[15]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[16]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[16]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[16]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[15]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[17]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[18]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[17]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[16]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[17]
  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[16]

KPIs in the barley industry

  • 80% is Malteries Soufflet’s target share for sustainable barley sourcing across global barley purchases.[19]
  • 29 malting plants were included in Malteries Soufflet’s energy, water, occupational-safety and sourcing roadmaps for 2023–2025.[19]
  • 60% is Soufflet Malt’s target reduction in lost-time injury frequency versus its 2019–2020 baseline.[20]
  • 100% of Soufflet Malt sites are targeted to deliver at least one community initiative.[20]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

U.S. and UK supply show clear year-to-year variation, including a 6.367 million tonnes UK barley harvest in 2025 and a 10.2% decline from 2024.

Growth in the barley industry

  • US barley production totaled 143.8 million bushels in 2024 from 1.875 million harvested acres.[21]
  • 6.367 million tonnes of barley were harvested in the UK in 2025, down 10.2% from 2024.[22]
  • 7.091 million tonnes of barley were harvested in the UK in 2024, up from 6.963 million tonnes in 2023.[22]

Differentiation in the barley industry

  • Montana’s 2024 district-average barley protein levels ranged from 11.5% in Western Montana to 12.9% in Central Montana.[23]
  • Malt extract in Montana’s 2024 barley samples ranged from 77.9% for Mayflower to 84.6% for Voyager.[23]
  • 10.6% of Montana’s planted barley acreage was the Bill Coors 100 variety in 2024, making it the state’s third-largest reported variety.[23]
  • 25.4% of Montana’s planted barley acreage was the AC Metcalfe variety in 2024, followed by Hockett at 12.4%.[23]

Strategic partnerships in the barley industry

  • 1 collaboration between Syngenta and AB InBev established a protocol intended to improve malting-barley yields and secure consistent-quality grain for brewing.[24]
  • 1 memorandum of understanding was signed between a Chinese importer and Idaho’s Coldstream Malt and Grain Company to strengthen barley trade relations.[25]
  • 2 malting facilities are strategically located by Proximity Malt near major barley-growing regions to support local sourcing and supply-chain efficiency.[26]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Work arrangement patterns vary by country and sector, with 61% of Australian agribusiness organisations planning no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[27]
  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[28]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[28]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[29]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 21% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working fully remotely in 2024.[30]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[31]
  • 35% of U.S. agriculture and food employers offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024.[27]
  • 84% of Australian agribusiness organisations planned no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.[32]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[30]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[33]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[34]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[34]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[34]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[34]

Change Management in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among consumer packaged goods executives surveyed, 54% said resources dedicated to change programs had increased during the previous 12 months.[35]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 40% reported changing a process as a structural change.[36]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 53% reported conducting safety-related training as a structural change.[36]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 37% reported expansions, renovations or added capacity as structural changes.[36]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 31% reported changing elements of their supply chain as a structural change.[36]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Blockchain traceability is used in end-markets, including 100% of barley used in Peroni brand beers being Italian and blockchain-traceable from field to bottle in 2021.

Customer experience in the barley industry

  • 100% of the barley used in Peroni brand beers was Italian and blockchain-traceable from field to bottle in 2021.[6]
  • 100% traceability is provided by Boortmalt for selected barley and malt supply chains, including information on origin, production methods and carbon footprint.[37]
  • 2 minutes was the average time users remained connected to Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde’s blockchain-enabled barley traceability experience after its 2025 rollout in France.[5]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

UK barley trade value moved year-to-year, from £1.019 billion in 2023 to £803 million in 2024 and £702 million in 2025.

Marketing in the barley industry

  • £803 million was the value of UK barley sales in 2024.[22]
  • £702 million was the value of UK barley sales in 2025.[22]
  • 13 thousand tonnes of UK barley were exported outside the European Union in 2025.[22]
  • £1.019 billion was the value of UK barley sales in 2023.[22]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[38]
  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 42.7 billion engagements globally in 2023.[38]
  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[38]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Malting process timings and moisture targets are specified, including a 120-hour germination duration at 17°C and above 98% humidity in the USDA traditional process.

Process optimization in the barley industry

  • 24–48 hours is the steeping duration used in the USDA traditional barley malting process, depending on thousand-kernel weight.[39]
  • Approximately 4% is the finished malt moisture target after the USDA 24-hour kilning schedule.[39]
  • 120 hours is the germination duration used in the USDA traditional barley malting process at 17°C and above 98% humidity.[39]
  • 45% is the target moisture content at steep-out in the USDA traditional barley malting process.[39]

Operational efficiency in the barley industry

  • 24 hours is the stated duration of the USDA controlled barley kilning program.[39]
  • 170 grams is the dry-basis sample size used by USDA’s Cereal Crops Research Unit for early-generation barley malting analysis.[39]
  • 3 minutes of turning every 30 minutes is used during USDA’s laboratory barley germination process.[39]

Quality management in the barley industry

  • 13% is the maximum barley protein specification for six-row and adjunct two-row malting barley in AMBA criteria.[39]
  • 90% is the minimum plump-kernel target for adjunct two-row and all-malt two-row barley in AMBA commercial malt criteria.[39]
  • 97% is the suitable-malting-type requirement for U.S. No. 1 six-rowed malting barley under USDA standards.[40]
  • 98% is the minimum germination target for six-row, adjunct two-row, all-malt two-row and distillers’ barley in AMBA commercial malt criteria.[39]

Supply chain in the barley industry

  • 4.393 million tonnes was the estimated UK animal-feed barley usage in 2026/27.[41]
  • 6.001 million tonnes was the estimated UK domestic barley consumption in 2026/27.[41]
  • 5.614 million tonnes was the estimated UK barley production in 2026/27.[41]
  • 1.407 million tonnes was the estimated UK human-and-industrial barley usage in 2026/27.[41]
  • 450 thousand tonnes was the estimated UK barley surplus available for export or free stock in 2026/27.[41]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[42]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[43]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[43]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[44]
  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[45]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price levels differ by barley class, with USDA projecting a U.S. season-average farm price of $5.45 per bushel for 2025/26 in its April 2026 outlook.

Pricing strategy in the barley industry

  • £159 per tonne was the average UK feed-barley price in 2024.[22]
  • £172 per tonne was the average UK malting-barley price in 2025.[22]
  • $6.72 per bushel was the estimated U.S. malting-barley price for the 2024/25 marketing year.[46]
  • £152 per tonne was the average UK feed-barley price in 2025.[22]
  • £196 per tonne was the average UK malting-barley price in 2024.[22]

Cost reduction in the barley industry

  • $4.80 per bushel was Minnesota’s 2025 barley cost of production.[47]
  • $5.50 per bushel was Minnesota’s average barley cost of production for 2023–2025.[47]
  • 0.8% of malt extraction is lost for each 1 percentage-point increase in barley total protein, according to USDA analysis.[48]

Profitability in the barley industry

  • $4.80 per bushel was Minnesota’s 2025 barley production cost, compared with a $6.94 per-bushel 2023–2025 average price received.[47]
  • $6.94 per bushel was Minnesota’s average barley price received during 2023–2025.[47]
  • $899.9 million was the value of the U.S. barley crop in 2024.[21]
  • $6.60 per bushel was the average U.S. barley price in 2024.[21]

Financial planning in the barley industry

  • $5.50 per bushel was Minnesota’s average barley production cost for 2023–2025.[47]
  • 143.8 million bushels was U.S. barley production in 2024.[21]
  • 1.875 million acres was the U.S. barley harvested area in 2024.[21]
  • 76.7 bushels per acre was the average U.S. barley yield in 2024.[21]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Malting-barley variety cycles remain long, with 8–10 years to develop and register a new malting-barley variety in western Canada.

Product development in the barley industry

  • 8–10 years is the typical time required to develop and register a new malting-barley variety in western Canada.[49]
  • 12 years is the typical new-variety development cycle that Briess has shortened by scaling promising varieties through local test plots and low-acreage fields.[50]

Product lifecycle in the barley industry

  • 87% of Boortmalt’s 2022 malt volume was transported in bulk, while 13% used packaging.[51]
  • 1.3 kilograms of packaging were used per metric tonne of malt in Boortmalt’s 2022 operations.[51]
  • 0.7% of Boortmalt’s 2022 waste was classified as organic waste for uses including biofuel and compost.[51]
  • 0.04% of Boortmalt’s 2022 waste was sent to landfill, according to its malting-process waste analysis.[51]

Value proposition in the barley industry

  • 143.8 million bushels of barley were produced in the United States in 2024 from 1.875 million harvested acres.[21]
  • $6.60 per bushel was the average U.S. barley price in 2024, producing a crop value of $899.9 million.[21]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Operational targets and measured reductions appear across the malting and sourcing chain, including a 72% reduction in malt-production emissions after Simpsons Malt’s energy centre became operational.

Sustainability in the barley industry

  • 30% is the maximum water-use reduction reported for Great Western Malting’s Optisteep system during malting.[52]
  • 60% fewer greenhouse-gas emissions were reported for the low-carbon fertiliser trialled on malting barley by Anglia Maltings.[11]
  • 50% is Boortmalt’s 2030/31 target for reducing emissions through lower consumption and renewable-energy sources.[53]
  • 72% is the reported reduction in malt-production emissions at Simpsons Malt’s Tweed Valley Maltings after its energy centre became operational.[54]

ESG in the barley industry

  • 16 violations and $174,351 in proposed penalties were reported by OSHA after a 2022 inspection of Briess Industries’ Wisconsin malt facility.[55]
  • $3 million was Boston Beer’s approximate 2024 spending on social impact across its brands.[56]
  • 72% of Boston Beer coworkers participated in its engagement survey in 2024.[56]
  • 93.4% of Boston Beer coworkers participated in its quality-training program in 2024.[56]

Ethics in the barley industry

  • 100% of Boortmalt employees were targeted to respect the company’s business ethics manual and supplier code of conduct under its sustainability objectives.[53]
  • 60% is Soufflet Malt’s target reduction in lost-time injury frequency, measured against its 2019–2020 baseline.[20]
  • 20 countries had Soufflet Malt colleagues participating in workshops translating its corporate values into workplace behaviours.[20]
  • 2 repeated and 14 serious safety and health violations were identified at Briess Industries’ Manitowoc malthouse in 2022.[55]

CSR in the barley industry

  • 18,064 sales-training hours were logged by Boston Beer employees in 2024.[56]
  • 212 Boston Beer coworkers completed the company’s MALT development program in 2024.[56]

Circular economy in the barley industry

  • 0.04% of Boortmalt’s 2022 waste was sent to landfill, with other streams directed to reuse, biofuel or composting.[51]
  • 100% of spent grains were used as animal feed in the Slovak operations of Plzeňský Prazdroj in 2023.[57]
  • 99.9% of spent grains were used as animal feed in the Czech Republic operations of Plzeňský Prazdroj in 2023.[57]
  • 109 tonnes of spent grains were used to produce beer crackers by Zemanka Bio Bakery in 2023.[57]

Carbon footprint in the barley industry

  • 241 kilograms of CO2e per tonne was Muntons’ reported carbon footprint for malting-barley production in 2020.[58]
  • 299.5 kilograms of CO2e per tonne was Anglia Maltings’ average farm-gate greenhouse-gas intensity for 2023 malting barley.[11]
  • 15.74 pounds of CO2e per bushel was the aggregate carbon-intensity score for U.S. barley production in the American Malting Barley Association’s baseline project.[7]
  • 504 kilograms of CO2e per tonne was Muntons’ reported total malt carbon footprint, including barley production, malt manufacture and associated supply-chain emissions in 2020.[58]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border trade shows large importer volumes and shifting routes, including China imports of 14 million tonnes of barley in 2024.

Globalization in the barley industry

  • 14 million tonnes of barley were imported by China in 2024, a record high driven by feed demand and competitive pricing against domestic maize.[41]
  • 3.5 million tonnes of raw barley were exported by Canada in the August 2025–July 2026 crop year, with China receiving more than 60%.[63]
  • 28.589 million tonnes of barley were forecast for world exports in the 2025/26 marketing year, including 6.8 million tonnes from the European Union.[64]
  • 5.4 million tonnes of barley worth Can$1.4 billion were imported by GCC countries in 2024, with Russia supplying 58.0% by volume.[63]

Supplier management in the barley industry

  • 54.2% of GCC barley imports by value came from Russia in 2024, while Romania held a 20.1% share.[63]
  • 66.2% of Montana’s planted barley acreage consisted of malting varieties in 2024, compared with 14.8% for feed varieties.[23]
  • More than 300 barley growers are contracted by Briess in the Bighorn Basin and Red River Valley in the United States.[50]
  • 80 two-rowed malting barley samples from 17 Montana counties were collected for the state’s 2024 crop-quality report.[23]

Distribution channels in the barley industry

  • 6.1 million tonnes of barley were imported by Saudi Arabia in the 2025/26 marketing year forecast, making it the largest listed importer in the USDA table.[64]
  • 1.8 million tonnes of barley were used by the UK brewing, malting and distilling sector in 2024, down 8.0% from 2023.[22]
  • 4.3 million tonnes of barley were used by the UK animal-feed sector in 2023, a 5.1% increase from the previous year.[22]
  • 680 thousand tonnes of barley were exported from the UK to the European Union in 2025, compared with 258 thousand tonnes of EU barley imports.[22]

Key questions about the barley industry

What is the 2026 market size for barley?
The global barley market was estimated at $151.0 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $155.2 billion in 2026, with physical market volume represented by 152.94 million metric tons in 2025/26.
How fast is the barley market expected to grow after 2026?
Grand View Research forecasts growth from $155.2 billion in 2026 to $196.4 billion in 2033, a 3.4% CAGR from 2026 to 2033.
Which companies lead the barley industry?
Cargill stands out for barley sourcing, processing and distribution because its grain business sources, processes and distributes agricultural commodities including barley, while Bunge focuses on barley merchandising since its grain segment buys, stores, transports and markets commodities including barley.
What technology shifts show up in barley-related operations?
Digital intensity rose in EU food manufacturing, with 15.4% at high digital intensity in 2023 versus 13.0% in 2021, and 37% of EU agri-food businesses used cloud computing in 2024 versus 26% in 2023.
Is barley supply concentrated in one producer region?
Supply is geographically dispersed: FAOSTAT’s 2024 distribution assigns Russia 12% of world production and Australia 9.3%, indicating no single producer dominates the global supply base.
What is happening in the U.S. barley balance around 2026/27?
Lower U.S. barley production lifted projected 2026/27 imports by 15 million bushels and lowered exports by 5 million bushels, alongside a 6% decline in U.S. beer output in 2025/26.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Barley Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/barley-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Barley Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/barley-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Barley Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/barley-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

83 sources cited across this report

  1. monitor-industrial-ecosystems.ec.europa.eu
  2. mckinsey.com
  3. oecd.org
  4. ec.europa.eu
  5. invivo-group.com
  6. gs1-germany.de
  7. ambainc.org
  8. rdar.ca
  9. abts2026.com.au
  10. financialfilings.com
  11. 6508514.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  12. mdpi.com
  13. arxiv.org
  14. doi.org
  15. dnb.com
  16. manufacturingleadershipcouncil.com
  17. tracegains.com
  18. utah.ismworld.org
  19. disclosures.ifc.org
  20. souffletmalt.com
  21. agmrc.org
  22. gov.uk
  23. montanawbc.com
  24. prnewswire.com
  25. idahograin.org
  26. eocene.com
  27. m.agcareers.com
  28. bls.gov
  29. govinfo.gov
  30. 3ppartners.com
  31. ift.org
  32. rimfireresources.com.au
  33. culturemonkey.io
  34. peopleinsight.co.uk
  35. manufacturing.net
  36. foodengineeringmag.com
  37. boortmalt.com
  38. media.sproutsocial.com
  39. ars.usda.gov
  40. ams.usda.gov
  41. ahdb.org.uk
  42. documents1.worldbank.org
  43. fpsc-ctac.com
  44. business.qld.gov.au
  45. 1557649.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  46. downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu
  47. cffm.umn.edu
  48. ers.usda.gov
  49. bmbri.ca
  50. about.briess.com
  51. cdnc.heyzine.com
  52. greatwesternmalting.com
  53. giwa.org.au
  54. simpsonsmalt.co.uk
  55. dol.gov
  56. bostonbeerco-redesign.gcs-web.com
  57. udrzitelnost.prazdroj.cz
  58. muntons.com
  59. wtwco.com
  60. foodandag-isac.org
  61. publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu
  62. afgc.org.au
  63. agriculture.canada.ca
  64. esmis.nal.usda.gov
  65. apps.fas.usda.gov
  66. grandviewresearch.com
  67. ourworldindata.org
  68. research-groups.usask.ca
  69. commodityorigins.com
  70. ragt.au
  71. eur-lex.europa.eu
  72. consilium.europa.eu
  73. cargill.com
  74. investors.bunge.com
  75. cbh.com.au
  76. richardson.ca
  77. coa.rahrbsg.com
  78. graincorp.com.au
  79. vivescia.com
  80. vikingmalt.com
  81. brewersassociation.org
  82. webgate.acceptance.ec.europa.eu
  83. ragt-seeds.com