Russian farmers harvest 850,000 tonnes of malting barley for leading beer producers this year - association
MOSCOW. Nov 11 (Interfax) - Russian farmers, as part of cooperation with members of the Association of Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers (which unites the companies Drinks Together, Baltika, and Bochkarev Breweries), harvested 850,000 tonnes of malting barley for them, which is above the planned level, the association said, citing its executive director Vyacheslav Mamontov.
Despite the adverse weather conditions observed this year in a number of regions where malting barley is cultivated, the harvested crop should almost fully satisfy demand for it from association members.
"Association member companies are able to cover their barley needs thanks to the successful implementation of agricultural programs that ensure annual growth in planted areas. Ensuring the quality of domestic raw materials is a key issue for the companies, and systematic joint work by brewers and farmers makes it possible to come significantly closer to this goal," Mamontov said.
According to the association, its members are also working on developing new domestic varieties of malting barley that meet the industry's requirements. This is all the more important since Russian producers of this grain are still significantly dependent on seeds of foreign-bred varieties. In particular, in 2026, Baltika specialists and scientists created and registered Russia's first winter malting barley variety. In subsequent years, this work will make it possible to replace imported seed material and increase the autonomy and import independence of the entire domestic brewing industry, the association said.
The Association of Beer, Malt and Beverage Producers is a non-profit organization uniting the largest producers of brewing products. Its members account for around 70% of brewing products manufactured in Russia. They have at their disposal 27 plants and seven malting complexes in 21 regions of Russia. In addition to beer, the companies produce cider and energy drinks.
