01/02/08 Japan and food barley

Farm and Ranch January 2, 2008 Japan is the largest buyer of U.S. feed barley. Most recently however, Japan has begun to focus on more human food use of barley as well. Dan Mader, chairman of the Idaho Barley Commission was on a U.S. Grains Council sponsored mission to Japan earlier in the fall. He says the Japanese had contracted for some 2007 crop barley for food use. Mader: "Particular varieties that are very high levels of beta-glucans, soluble fiber, going directly to them in containers. And we got to tour the plant that will process that barley, see some of the end use products and the whole nine yards." The Japanese had been testing samples from the 2007 barley crop but the bulk shipment won't be arriving until early January. Mader says the Japanese food barley market has potential. Mader: "They are seeing a 5-6% growth per year in that demand. The Japanese consumer is quite health oriented and wants to improve their diet even more. So we think there is a lot of potential there. They seem quite pleased with the cooperating elevator in the U.S. that wrote this contract. with the servicing of it." The food barley market in Japan is a very high-value one. Mader: "Very high. It is probably a higher value than even malt barley. But it is a very special and niche market for the barley." Tomorrow, feed barley and Japan. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.