A surplus barley supply has pressured prices for the past five years. According to Malteurip North American Barley Procurement Manager Mark Black, the combination of inflation and COVID cut into beer consumption. ‘You also have a cultural shift of beer drinkers to other options, such as seltzers, canned cocktails, THC-infused drinks, all those sorts of things,” said Black. “Kids have a lot more options today than ever and they’re not drinking the traditional beer.” Black expects the barley industry to be in a much better position in 2025.
