Total Feed Barley Use in alberta

[rain]

Charlie do you have any numbers for the amount of feed grain used in alaberta a year. and ssy going back 5 years as well?

[charliep]

I will have to be a bit red faced and admit barley feed use in Alberta is an area that needs more research. I hope you don't mind if I take a general approach and seek feedback.

Alberta barley production has averaged about 6 MMT over the past 10 years (range of 4.9 MMT in 1992 to 7.1 MMT in 1996). Carryovers will change between years but on the average we use all the barley we produce. About 1 MMT of barley will be used as seed and sold as malt. That leaves about 5 MMT to be fed.

SK./MB. feed barley imports into Alberta are harder to gauge. Total feed barley consumption (perhaps a bit of a quesitmate) is likely in the range of 5.5 to 6 MMT. Based on this logic, our provincial average feed barley imports would be about 500,000 to 1MMT a year. I look for feedback.

In 2001, Alberta produced a 5.2 MMT (800,000 t below average). Sk. production was slashed as well and their sales to Ab. will also be down (no feel exact numbers). I would have to seek input on the level of Mb. shipments west.

Aug. 1 to end Feb, combined AB./SK. US corn imports have been about 700,000 t (100,000 t a month) based on Statscan data). Total to the end of the crop year will likely be close to 1.2 MMT (assuming same pace). This will likely generate discussion but the corn imports are basically coming in to replace the prairie production short fall.

A factor I haven't included here is feed wheat. Again, I will leave for discussion.

[rain]

OK how about we look at Agri Food Canada, saying domestic use of barley is 10-11 MMT/year. We export 1.5-2.5 MMT (mostly Malt). So domestic use could be 8.5 MMT. Would you think 85% of this domestic use could be feed barley in Alberta. Say 7.2 MMT/year. What do you think?

[charliep]

I apologize for having to work back the other way. Average Canadian production about 13.5 MMT. About 1 MMT is produced and used in eastern Canada (all feed). Malt barley (both domestic and export) - 2 to 2.4 MMT, seed - 400,000 t, feed barley exports - 400,000 t (???). Total feed barley western Canada - 9.5 MMT. Percentage Alberta - 85 %???? Seems high. My thoughts would be more in the 60 to 70 %. Perhaps a point of discussion would be Manitoba and the size of their hog industry.

[rain]

OK do you know how much barley manaitoba uses?

[charliep]

Check out the publication on the Statistics Canada web site.

http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/23-501-XIE.htm

They have done a feed grain use study based on animal consuming units by province.

To put things into perspective, Statcan estimates about 23.4 MMT of feed grain is used in Canada in 2000. Of this, 11.7 MMT is used in western Canada (50%) and about 6 MMT in Alberta (25 %). Cattle consume about 2/3 of the feedgrains in Alberta (mainly barley). Manitoba feed grain consumption is about 2.6 MMT with about 1.7 MMT being fed to hogs (about 2/3).