Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre 2025 Crop Tour

Earlier this month, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre’s 2025 New Crop Tour brought more than 70 participants to Calgary and across Alberta for farm visits, seminars and brewery tours.

Delegates from Canada, China, Mexico, and the U.S.—representing major global brewers and maltsters—had the chance to see this year’s barley crop firsthand.

The tour created valuable opportunities for international buyers to connect directly with growers, strengthening trust and reinforcing Canada’s reputation for quality barley.

A special thank you to the growers who welcomed participants and helped make the event a success. 

From August 5–7, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre’s (CMBTC) 2025 New Crop Tour brought more than 70 participants to Calgary and across central and southern Alberta. Over three days of farm visits, seminars and tours of malt plants and breweries, the tour offered a firsthand look at this year’s barley crop and the people behind it.

Delegations came from four key markets, Canada, China, Mexico, and the United States, together representing a significant core of global demand for Canadian barley. International guests included Tsingtao Brewery, China’s second-largest brewer with 18% of the market share, and Hyaline Malting, which operates 1.5 million tonnes of malt capacity.

From Mexico, we welcomed Constellation Brands, the exclusive U.S. licensee for Corona and Modelo and the largest beer importer in the United States, where Modelo Especial is now the top-selling beer. From the U.S. craft sector, delegates from New Belgium Brewing also took part. On the domestic side, Canadian representation covered 70% of national malt production and 80% of barley exports, a strong showing from our own industry.

Most importantly, the tour created space for end-users to connect directly with growers and the Canadian industry. These personal interactions matter. When buyers can walk fields, visit farms and put faces to the grain they use, it builds trust and brings markets closer together. That trust reinforces Canada’s reputation for quality and helps ensure Canadian barley continues to command a premium in world markets.

A special thank you to Alberta Grains and the growers who opened their farms and homes to make this year’s tour a success.