Strengthening Canada’s Position: Highlights from the 2024 Canada-China Barley Seminar
With the recent reopening of the Chinese market to Australian barley, Canada must establish Canadian barley as the preferred choice among Chinese maltsters and brewers. Against this backdrop, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) organized the 2024 Canada-China Barley Seminar in Qingdao on June 20th. The seminar aimed to strengthen Canada’s foothold in the Chinese market, foster bilateral relationships, and showcase the premium quality of Canadian barley to key stakeholders in China. Partnering with Tsingtao Brewery Group, a major advocate and importer of Canadian barley (annually importing between 300,000 – 400,000 tonnes), CMBTC utilized Tsingtao’s influential role as a gateway to the broader Chinese market.
The seminar had two main objectives: first, to deepen collaboration between the Canadian value chain and Chinese maltsters and brewers; and second, to promote Canada’s barley varieties, agricultural practices, and quality assurance standards.
These objectives reflected growing Chinese interest in Canadian barley for its distinct flavour profile and reliable performance in brewing premium beer brands. Notably, approximately 25-30% of malt in almost any Chinese beer originates from Canadian barley, a percentage even higher among premium beer brands in China.
Dr. Aaron Beattie from the Crop Development Centre presented on Canadian plant breeding, and Dr. Yueshu Li discussed new barley varieties, both topics generating significant interest among attendees. Chinese brewers and maltsters value Canadian barley for its unique flavour profile and expressed strong interest in new varieties, emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality and flavour consistency.
Additional seminar highlights include presentations by Cody Glenn, Chair of SaskBarley, on growing barley in Canada and Matt Enns, Vice-Chair of SaskBarley, on sustainable farming practices in Western Canada. These insights, alongside farmer delegate videos, sparked enthusiasm among attendees for the 2024 New Crop Tour organized by CMBTC and SaskBarley. CMBTC is currently collaborating with the Canadian embassy in Beijing to secure visas for participants to attend the upcoming crop tour.
Following the seminar, the delegation visited Hyaline Malting in Yantai, where they witnessed firsthand the application of Canadian malting barley in Chinese brewing processes. This visit underscored the importance of future collaboration, highlighting Hyaline as a major supporter of Canadian barley and a leader in experimenting with new varieties for premium malt.
The 2024 Canada-China Barley Seminar not only strengthened existing relationships but also laid a solid foundation for future collaborations in the dynamic Chinese market. As Canada navigates evolving global trade dynamics, nurturing and enhancing relationships with Chinese end-users remains pivotal to establishing Canadian barley as the preferred choice globally.
In the coming weeks, CMBTC will release a comprehensive report detailing seminar outcomes and recommendations, reinforcing Canada’s leadership in the barley industry. Watch for it at cmbtc.com
