The IFA’s grain chair Kieran McEvoy blasted Boortmalt’s 2025 base malting barley price of €209/t as a “very disappointing outcome for growers who are desperately low on confidence at the moment”.
The announcement puts malting barley prices at their “worst since 2020” and Boortmalt must come forward with a strong fixed price offer for 2026 that will put a floor under falling tillage farmer confidence, McEvoy stated.
A 2020-level grain price comes after Teagasc analysis puts current variable costs on tillage farmers at over a third higher than they were back then.
“Linking the malting barley price to the FOB Creil market has delivered significant malting premiums for growers in recent years,” he said.
“However, it has not been immune to the dramatic drop that has occurred in all European grain markets over the last three months.”
McEvoy said that those who accepted fixed prices earlier this year, despite contracted grain price cuts and concerns that Boortmalt would take in no further distilling malting barley, may have some buffer against depressed market returns.
"The fixed prices of €230 and €240/t offered to growers for up to 40% of contracted volumes earlier in the season may mitigate the situation for some farmers who took those options,” he commented.
“However, the base price of €209/t for brewing barley is the worst since 2020 and significantly lower than the €247.69/t paid last year.”
The IFA grain chair’s comments follow from the Irish Beer Market Report stating that beer production increased by 11% this year.
“We would urge Boortmalt and the merchant supply chain to come forward with a fixed price offer for 2026 that gives growers some confidence. This price must reflect the increase in the costs of production.”
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Boortmalt releases 2025 harvest price
The IFA’s grain chair Kieran McEvoy blasted Boortmalt’s 2025 base malting barley price of €209/t as a “very disappointing outcome for growers who are desperately low on confidence at the moment”.
The announcement puts malting barley prices at their “worst since 2020” and Boortmalt must come forward with a strong fixed price offer for 2026 that will put a floor under falling tillage farmer confidence, McEvoy stated.
A 2020-level grain price comes after Teagasc analysis puts current variable costs on tillage farmers at over a third higher than they were back then.
“Linking the malting barley price to the FOB Creil market has delivered significant malting premiums for growers in recent years,” he said.
“However, it has not been immune to the dramatic drop that has occurred in all European grain markets over the last three months.”
McEvoy said that those who accepted fixed prices earlier this year, despite contracted grain price cuts and concerns that Boortmalt would take in no further distilling malting barley, may have some buffer against depressed market returns.
"The fixed prices of €230 and €240/t offered to growers for up to 40% of contracted volumes earlier in the season may mitigate the situation for some farmers who took those options,” he commented.
“However, the base price of €209/t for brewing barley is the worst since 2020 and significantly lower than the €247.69/t paid last year.”
The IFA grain chair’s comments follow from the Irish Beer Market Report stating that beer production increased by 11% this year.
“We would urge Boortmalt and the merchant supply chain to come forward with a fixed price offer for 2026 that gives growers some confidence. This price must reflect the increase in the costs of production.”
Read more
Boortmalt releases 2025 harvest price
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