Market Intelligence

The global barley market

Production, consumption, trends and trade routes โ€” the data that moves one of the world's most important cereals.

Global Market Intelligence

The World of Barley

Barley is one of the world's most important cereal crops โ€” a cornerstone of food, beverage and agriculture industries globally.

155M
Tonnes produced/year
100+
Countries producing barley
$67B
Global market value (USD)
+8%
Annual growth organic barley
35%
Used for malting & brewing
#4
4th most grown cereal globally

๐ŸŒ Top Producing Countries

๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Russia21.8M t
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia14.2M t
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France13.5M t
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany11.6M t
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada10.4M t
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine9.1M t

๐ŸŒพ Global Uses of Barley

๐Ÿบ
Malting & Brewing
Beer, whisky and craft beverages drive premium barley demand.
35%
๐Ÿ„
Animal Feed
High energy makes barley the preferred grain for livestock and poultry.
55%
๐Ÿฒ
Human Nutrition
Rich in beta-glucan fiber โ€” a superfood for heart and gut health.
10%
๐ŸŒฟ
Organic & Functional
The fastest-growing segment โ€” organic products and supplements.
+8%/yr

Sources: FAO, USDA, Grand View Research, Statista

Regional Spotlight

Production, consumption
& trade by country

Europe is by far the largest barley-producing region on Earth โ€” the EU alone harvested around 49 million tonnes in 2024, roughly a third of global output. Below, the full balance for every major producing and importing country.

49M
EU production 2024 (tonnes)
~33%
Of global production
~46M
EU consumption (tonnes)
Net +
Net exporter of barley

Global barley balance by country

Production ยท Consumption ยท Exports ยท Imports (million tonnes, 2024/25 est.) ยท Source: USDA PSD / Eurostat

Production Consumption Exports Imports
CountryProductionConsumptionExportsImports
๐ŸŒ Major producers & exporters
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Russia17.012.55.00.1
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia13.04.08.50.0
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France12.07.06.00.3
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany11.09.62.51.2
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada9.07.03.00.0
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain7.49.00.51.6
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท Turkey7.58.50.11.2
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom6.55.51.20.2
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine6.02.53.50.0
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina5.01.04.00.0
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland4.03.70.60.3
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Denmark3.73.00.80.4
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States3.54.00.10.5
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Kazakhstan3.01.51.50.0
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania1.71.10.90.1
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Czechia1.71.60.30.1
๐Ÿšข Major importers (net buyers)
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China2.013.50.011.5
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Saudi Arabia0.07.00.06.5
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท Iran3.06.00.03.0
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Morocco1.52.30.00.8
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil0.41.60.01.2
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan0.21.20.01.0

Consumption = domestic use (feed + malting + food). Figures are approximate USDA PSD / Eurostat estimates for 2024/25, rounded to one decimal. EU member states shown individually.

Regional Spotlight

Brazil โ€” a thirsty market

The world's 3rd-largest beer producer grows only a fraction of the barley it needs โ€” making it one of the most important import markets, and a key destination for Argentine brewing barley.

~0.4M
Domestic production (t)
1.2M
Malt consumed/year (t)
~40%
Of demand met locally
#3
Beer producer worldwide
๐ŸŒพ Where it's grown
Over 90% of Brazil's ~400,000-tonne crop comes from Rio Grande do Sul and Paranรก, with smaller areas in Goiรกs, Minas Gerais and Sรฃo Paulo. Three malthouses operate in RS, PR and SP.
๐Ÿšข The import gap
Local production covers under 40% of demand, so Brazil imports heavily โ€” much of it from Argentina. A record 50,000-tonne shipment recently reached the Port of Paranaguรก to supply southern breweries and malthouses.

Sources: USDA, Tridge, FGV, Brazilian brewing industry data 2024.

Market Update ยท June 2026

World Barley 2025/26
Production & Consumption

Source: E-malt / USDA ยท The 2025/26 campaign projects global production of 155.0 Mt and consumption of 154.8 Mt โ€” a near-perfect balance after years of tighter supply.

155.0M
Tonnes produced 2025/26
โ†‘ vs 143.4M in 2024/25
154.8M
Tonnes consumed 2025/26
Sustained global demand
+0.2M
Production surplus 2025/26
Comfortable but tight
161.5M
Record โ€” 2020/21
Historical series peak

Production vs Consumption โ€” World Barley (Mt)

2010/11 โ€” 2025/26 ยท Source: USDA / E-malt

๐Ÿ“ˆ Recovery in 2025/26
After three campaigns below 150 Mt, the 155 Mt forecast marks a significant recovery driven by better growing conditions in major regions.
โš–๏ธ Tight Balance
With only 0.2 Mt surplus, the market stays sensitive to climate. Any shortfall in Australia, France or Argentina could quickly tighten supply.
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina's Opportunity
A tight global balance means price support and stronger demand for brewing and feed barley. Necochea and Bahรญa Blanca are well positioned.

Source: USDA / E-malt ยท June 2, 2026

Global Trade Intelligence

Global Barley Shipping Routes

The world's main export routes for brewing and feed barley.

Based on commercial trade routes 2023โ€“2024 ยท Source: USDA, FAO

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ทArgentina โ€” Brewing Barley
Port of Necochea (primary) and Bahรญa Blanca. Exports brewing barley to Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia.
๐Ÿบ Destination: South America
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ทArgentina โ€” Feed Barley
Ports of Necochea and Bahรญa Blanca. Exports feed barley to Middle East and China.
๐Ÿ„ Destination: Asia & Middle East
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บAustralia โ†’ Asia / Middle East
Ports of Fremantle and Kwinana. World's largest exporter. Supplies China, Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
๐Ÿ“ฆ ~8M tonnes/year
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บRussia โ†’ Turkey / Middle East
Black Sea. Russia leads exports to the Middle East and North Africa. High volatility due to regional conflicts.
๐Ÿ“ฆ ~5M tonnes/year
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ทFrance โ†’ North Africa / UK
Port of Rouen. High-quality malting barley. Main supplier to Morocco, Algeria and European breweries.
๐Ÿ“ฆ ~3M tonnes/year
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆCanada โ†’ Japan / Mexico
Ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert. 6-row barley for Japanese malthouses and North American breweries.
๐Ÿ“ฆ ~2.5M tonnes/year

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