Scoular Partners With Idaho Farmers to Boost Barley Production
Scoular has officially announced the launch of Barley MVP - a first-of-its-kind program designed to expand the production of barley as an economically viable rotation crop.
Launching in time for fall planting, the program provides a variety of risk management tools and high-yielding seed varieties for Idaho farmers seeking to plant alternative rotation crops. And once grown, Scoular will help farmers connect to new global markets for their barley.
While Idaho is the top barley producing state in the U.S., only a fraction of the barley grown in the state makes its way to the fast-growing feed and processing sectors, creating a demand gap. Through this program, farmers can help meet this demand through a crop that is more sustainable than traditional rotation crops in Idaho such as corn or wheat, due to it requiring less water and fertilizer.
In 2021, Idaho’s farmers converted more than 12,000 acres to barley production, however demand could exceed 50,000 acres over the next five years, according to Andy Hohwieler, trade unit manager with Scoular.
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