12/07/07 Feed barley demand in Japan

Dan Mader of Genesee is encouraged by what he saw in Japan. As a member of the Idaho Barley Commission Mader and members from the US Grains Council recently went to Japan to talk about feed barley sales. MADER "The Japanese are increasingly working barley into their diets mixed with rice in some cases and in some cases direct and in end products. They're doing that to improve the quality of their diet." Japan is the largest buyer of US barley but most of it goes to animal feed for Wagu Beef. But a Japanese company has purchased a specific feed barley variety which will be shipped to them in containers in early January. MADER "Salute has a six to seven percent beta glucan level which is the soluble fiber we're after whereas normal barley varieties have in the three to four percent beta glucan because rice in and of itself is not a great food product." Mader sees feed barley as a potential expanding market for export. He says Japan consumers are very health oriented and that has resulted in a five to six percent annual increase in barley demand. Mader says the Japanese are pleased with the cooperating US elevator that wrote the contract and the servicing of it. It's a specialty niche market which Mader sees as one that will be grown under contract in the future. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott