Barley: Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade
Geography › Agriculture and Crop Geography · Topic 11.17
Barley is a hardy cereal that grows in cool, dry climates and poor soils where wheat does badly. It needs 12 to 15 °C during growth, 25 to 40 cm of rain, and tolerates salty and alkaline soils. It matures early and is grown as a rabi crop in India and as a spring or winter crop elsewhere. It is used mainly as animal feed and for malt in brewing and distilling, and only partly as food. Russia, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Turkey and Ukraine are major producers; in India it is grown in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Agriculture and Crop Geography
At a Glance
- Climate Cool and dry; 25 to 40 cm rain
- Soil Poor, saline-tolerant
- Season in India Rabi
- Uses Feed, malt, food
- Indian states Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Agriculture and Crop Geography
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the topic on maize and completes the study of the major cereals. Barley is a hardy crop of marginal lands, in contrast to wheat and rice, and it is a main raw material for the brewing industry. Previous topic: Maize (Corn): Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade. Next topic: Coffee: Types, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade.
What Are the Growing Conditions for Barley?
| Factor | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Cool, 12 to 15 °C during growth; ripens in warm, dry weather; will grow in a short season of 90 to 100 days |
| Rainfall | Low, 25 to 40 cm; tolerates drought better than wheat |
| Soil | Well-drained loam; tolerates poor, saline and alkaline soils better than most cereals |
| Altitude and latitude | Grown in high latitudes and mountain valleys, such as Ladakh and Spiti, where few other cereals grow |
| Season | Rabi in India (sown October-November); spring or winter barley elsewhere |
Barley is one of the oldest cultivated cereals, grown in the Fertile Crescent about ten thousand years ago. Its ability to grow where wheat fails has made it important at the margins of farming, in dry steppes, near deserts and in cold uplands.
How Is Barley Used and What Are Its Types?
- Feed barley: the largest use, as animal feed, especially in Europe, Russia, Canada and Australia.
- Malting barley: the grain is sprouted and dried to give malt, the raw material of beer, whisky and malted foods. It needs low protein and uniform grain, and breweries pay a premium.
- Food: barley flour, sattu, and tsampa in the Himalayas; barley water. It is rich in fibre and beta-glucan.
- Types: two-row and six-row barley, hulled and hull-less, winter and spring types.
- Indian varieties: from research institutes in Karnal and Jodhpur, with malt barley varieties such as RD 2849 grown under contract for breweries in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.
- Cultivation: requires less water and fertiliser than wheat; often sown after cotton or pearl millet in the dry areas.
What Is the Production Pattern and Trade?
- World: production is about 140 to 155 million tonnes. Russia, the countries of the European Union such as France, Germany and Spain, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine and Argentina are major producers.
- India: barley output is small, about 1.5 to 2 million tonnes, from about 0.6 million hectares. Rajasthan is the largest producer, accounting for more than half, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. The area has declined as farmers shifted to wheat, mustard and other crops.
- Exporters: Russia, Australia, France, Ukraine, Canada and Argentina. Importers include Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Turkey and some European countries.
- India’s trade: India’s barley is largely consumed domestically for feed and malt, with small imports of malting barley in some years.
- Prospects: the demand from breweries and health food, as well as the crop’s tolerance of drought and salinity, make it a candidate for dry and saline lands in the face of climate change, as in Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Practices.
India’s barley has been surveyed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which has bred varieties resistant to rust and lodging. The beer and malt industry, concentrated in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, buys on contract, and the Directorate of Wheat and Barley Research at Karnal coordinates the research. In high Himalayan villages of Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti, barley is a staple, cooked as roasted flour, and a base for local beer, chhang. The grain’s tolerance of cold and drought shows its value as a food-security crop in remote highlands. As an analytical point, barley belongs to the group of coarse grains with maize in Maize (Corn): Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade, and, like millets, it fits well in dry and poor lands where it can reduce pressure on water. The figures are approximate and are updated each year.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Hardy crop Poor soils and dry climate
- Uses Malt and feed
- Region Rajasthan
What Came Next?
The next topic describes coffee: types, growing conditions, production and trade. Next topic: Coffee: Types, Growing Conditions, Production Pattern, International Trade.
Key People and Terms
- Malt Sprouted and dried grain
- Feed barley Barley used for animals
- Two-row barley Barley with two fertile rows
- Sattu Roasted barley or gram flour
- Tsampa Himalayan roasted barley flour
- Coarse grain Maize, barley, millets
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Barley tolerates cold, drought and salinity.
- Needs only 25 to 40 cm of rain.
- Used for malt in brewing.
- Rajasthan is the top state.
- Russia is a leading producer and exporter.
Do Not Confuse With
- Barley and wheat Hardy dry-land cereal versus fertile-land cereal
- Malting and feed barley Brewing grade versus animal feed
- Barley and bajra Rabi cereal versus kharif millet
Memory Hook
Cold, dry and poor, barley grows: malt for beer and feed for cows.
Mains Angle
Questions on barley are mostly factual. These points help in a short note.
- Hardiness Marginal lands
- Uses Malt and feed
- Decline Shift to other crops
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Why is barley grown on marginal lands, and what are its uses and distribution in India?”
How to Answer
- Conditions Cool, dry, poor soils.
- Uses Malt, feed, food.
- India Rajasthan and others.
- Future Climate resilience.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the growing conditions for barley?
Barley grows in cool, dry climates, with temperatures of about 12 to 15 degrees Celsius during growth and 25 to 40 centimetres of rainfall. It matures early, tolerates drought, poor soils, and salinity better than wheat, and is grown in high latitudes and mountain valleys as well as dry regions.
What are the main uses of barley?
Barley is used mainly as animal feed. Malting barley is sprouted and dried to produce malt, the raw material for beer, whisky and malted drinks. It is also used as food, as in sattu and tsampa, and as barley flour and water, and is rich in fibre.
Which states of India grow barley?
Rajasthan is the largest barley-growing state of India, accounting for more than half of the output, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. It is a rabi crop sown in October and November, and its area has shrunk as farmers moved to other crops.
Which countries are the largest producers of barley?
Russia, the European Union countries such as France, Germany and Spain, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine and Argentina are the largest barley producers. Russia, Australia, France, Ukraine and Canada are leading exporters, and Saudi Arabia and China are among the main importers.
Why is malting barley special?
Malting barley is a grade of barley with uniform grain size and low protein, which sprouts well and gives good malt, needed to make beer and whisky. Brewers pay a premium for it, so it is often grown under contract with the breweries in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Barley tolerates drought and saline soils better than wheat.
It suits marginal lands.
2 Barley is a kharif crop in India.
It is a rabi crop.
3 Rajasthan is the leading barley-producing state of India.
Followed by Uttar Pradesh.
4 Malt is made from sprouted barley.
It is used in brewing.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Agriculture and Crop Geography. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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