asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will tabulate the ratio of malting barley to feed barley sown in each year from 1980 to 1988, inclusive; if he will give the amount of malting barley expressed as a percentage of the total barley crop in those years; and if he will give projections for 1989.
Written Answers. - Barley Crop.
49.
The following table indicates the area relativity between feed and malting barley from 1980 to 1988:
|
Year |
Total area under barley |
Area under feed barley |
Area under malting barley |
Ratio of feed to malting barley |
Malting barley as a % of total barley sown |
|
(,000 Ha) |
(,000 Ha) |
(,000 Ha) |
|||
|
1980 |
366.3 |
316.9 |
49.4 |
6.4:1 |
13.5 |
|
1981 |
356.6 |
311.1 |
45.5 |
6.8:1 |
12.8 |
|
1982 |
332.4 |
286.5 |
45.9 |
6.2:1 |
13.8 |
|
1983 |
313.4 |
268.9 |
44.5 |
6.0:1 |
14.2 |
|
1984 |
304.3 |
253.7 |
50.6 |
5.0:1 |
16.6 |
|
1985 |
298.4 |
252.8 |
45.6 |
5.5:1 |
15.3 |
|
1986 |
282.8 |
241.5 |
41.3 |
5.8:1 |
14.6 |
|
1987 |
276.0 |
232.1 |
43.9 |
5.3:1 |
15.9 |
|
1988 |
264.9 |
211.4 |
53.5 |
4.0:1 |
20.2 |
These are the figures published by the CSO. The traditional distinction between feed and malting barley was based on contracts with maltsters. In recent years, with the development of varieties which can be used for feed or malting purposes, the distinction is not as clear cut as previously.
My Department's estimates for area under malting barley, including malting barley contracted for export, for years 1986-88 with projections for 1989 are as follows:
|
Year |
Total area under barley |
Area under feed barley |
Area under malting barley |
Ratio of feed to malting barley |
Malting barley as a % of total barley sown |
|
(,000 Ha) |
(,000 Ha) |
(,000 Ha) |
|||
|
1986 |
282.8 |
216.8 |
66.0 |
3.3:1 |
23.3 |
|
1987 |
276.6 |
199.6 |
77.0 |
2.6:1 |
27.8 |
|
1988 |
264.9 |
169.9 |
95.0 |
1.8:1 |
35.9 |
|
1989 |
267.0 |
157.0 |
110.0 |
1.4:1 |
41.2 |