2024-25 Activities:

CMBTC Unveils Strategic Plan to Strengthen Global Market Development and Industry Collaboration

In 2024–2025, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre continued to strengthen collaboration across Canada’s barley value chain. From breeders and farmers to maltsters, brewers, and exporters, this cooperation remains the foundation of Canada’s reputation for producing high-quality malting barley and malt.

Strategic Planning and Industry Alignment

Between February and June 2025, CMBTC worked with members and partners across the value chain to develop a new strategic plan that builds on ongoing collaboration and defines clear priorities for the years ahead. The plan focuses on strengthening the connection between technical work and market needs, expanding international engagement, and ensuring members see tangible results through work that supports stable markets and continued confidence in Canadian barley.

Through this plan, CMBTC is strengthening market development activities in key regions, including China, Japan, Mexico and Latin America, to maintain and expand opportunities for Canadian barley and malt. This work includes direct engagement with international brewers, maltsters, and distillers, and collaboration with Canadian exporters to share crop quality results and promote the performance of Canadian varieties. Technical analysis and variety testing continue to support this outreach by providing customers with reliable data on quality and processing characteristics. The plan also enhances coordination with growers and industry partners to identify emerging opportunities and ensure CMBTC programs reflect needs across the value chain.

Programs and Technical Exchanges

In 2024–2025, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre delivered 13 programs through malt academies, missions, and webinars, engaging 397 participants from the brewing, malting, and feed industries. International activities represented 66.3 per cent of total engagement, focused on China, the United States, Mexico and Latin America, Japan, and other regions.

CMBTC hosted the 2024 New Crop Tour in Saskatoon, organized in partnership with and sponsored by SaskBarley. The tour featured growers from across Saskatchewan, along with exporters, maltsters, brewers, and international customers, including a large delegation of Japanese brewers, Chinese buyers, and North American processors. Participants reviewed the new barley crop, discussed quality results, and visited research and production sites to observe the Canadian value chain firsthand.

In November 2024, CMBTC released results from Canada’s new barley crop quality analysis and held follow-up New Crop Webinars for customers in China, Japan, and North America. The sessions provided detailed information on malting barley quality, processing, and malt analysis.

CMBTC partnered with Alberta Grains, SaskBarley, and the Manitoba Crop Alliance on a Barley Production Webinar Series featuring agronomists and maltsters who discussed seeding and production and harvest and storage practices. The Malt Academy delivered its one-week intensive program and 3-day program in Winnipeg, providing training for over 50 participants across North America.

Looking Ahead

CMBTC will continue to support Canada’s barley value chain through market development, technical and training initiatives that help maintain confidence in Canadian barley and malt. The organization remains focused on stable markets, strong industry collaboration, and delivering value for growers and the industry.

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