Brazil: Barley harvest in Rio Grande Do Sul reaches levels below beer industry standards

The barley harvest in Rio Grande do Sul continues at a fast pace, with significant progress in the Alto Uruguai and Planalto Médio regions, as reported by Emater/RS-Ascar in its Informativo Conjuntural last Thursday (31). The entity's initial expectation for the planted area is 34,429 hectares, with an average projected productivity of 3,245 kg/ha. However, the quality of the harvested grains has become a concern, since some of the product has germination rates slightly below the minimum of 95%, the standard required for use in the beer industry. According to information from Emater/RS, in the administrative region of Erechim, 40% of the barley area has already been harvested, with an average productivity of around 3,600 kg/ha. However, the unsatisfactory germination rate has affected prices for producers, since the product does not meet the standards required for beer classification. In the Frederico Westphalen region, the harvest has already reached 90% of the planted area, with ...