Wilder: Barley Crop Looks Good, Prices Do Not

For barley growers across Idaho, this year is not shaping up to be the rebound season many had hoped for.  Since some of the higher elevations are still harvesting, the 2024 season is not quite done, but Laura Wilder, Executive Director of the Idaho Barley Commission said the crop is looking good quality wise.

“Yield looks pretty good," she noted.  "We have had some pockets where we've had some weather issues, either hail or rain during harvest where there are isolated issues.  But overall the USDA is predicting that our yield will be about as good as last year and possibly even higher, which I've heard in some areas it was very good other areas maybe not quite as good as they hoped. But overall a pretty good year.”

Wilder noted unfortunately prices aren’t very good, which is a disappointment for Idaho growers who have faced several challenging financial years.

“The input costs, primarily the cost of equipment and parts have remained high, and parts have been hard to get and those replacement costs have been high.  Fuel has leveled off, and fertilizer [prices have leveled as well] which are looking better but are still higher than they used to be. For growers to make money, they need to be able get a price high enough to cover all the costs and we're still not there this year.”

Wilder noted that she wants to thank all of the growers who had done a great job pushing through the challenges of the past couple of season, to continue providing a great product for consumers.

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