The Irish Farmers' Association will host a malting barley grower meeting at the Dolmen Hotel, Carlow, on Monday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m., pressing Boortmalt to drop a €10/t drying charge on the 2026 crop and to address a separate €10/t parity charge on the same harvest.

The IFA has invited Boortmalt representatives to attend. Murphy, an IFA grains spokesperson, told Agriland the association "have already asked Boortmalt to waive the €10/t drying charge on 2026 crops," but the company has not responded. Murphy added: "Given the Harvest 2026 prices that have recently been published, Ireland's malting barley sector is now facing into a deep crisis."

What's driving the standoff?

Two fees on the 2026 crop sit at the center of the dispute:

• A €10/t drying charge applied to Harvest 2026 grain
• A €10/t "parity" charge for Harvest 2026 that growers say wipes out any malting premium

Boortmalt declined a formal IFA meeting until late last week. The company then conditioned attendance on IFA representatives signing a legal non-disclosure agreement (NDA), a stipulation the farm group rejected.

"This would mean that we could not report back to our members on the meeting," Murphy said. "This is not acceptable." He described Boortmalt's presence in Carlow as "absolutely imperative" to discuss the missing malting premium and the parity charge for Harvest 2026.

What growers want from Boortmalt

The IFA's stated objectives for the Carlow session:

• A written waiver of the €10/t drying charge on 2026 crops
• Restoration of a meaningful malting premium for Harvest 2026
• Removal of the €10/t parity charge
• A direct line of communication that is not gated by an NDA

Murphy urged every malting barley grower in the country to attend: "We would encourage all malting barley growers to be in Carlow on Monday night."

Why the numbers matter

Malting barley carries a price premium over feed barley that compensates growers for meeting strict germination, nitrogen and moisture specifications. A €20/t combined levy — the drying fee and parity charge together — narrows that premium sharply and can tip margins below feed-barley returns once drying, haulage and rejection risk are factored in.

Boortmalt is the principal buyer of Irish malting barley, used by Irish distillers and brewers and exported through Athy. A breakdown in pricing terms would ripple into the roughly 150,000–180,000 tonnes Ireland typically produces for malting annually, reshaping sowing decisions for the 2027 crop.

The dispute follows Harvest 2026 grain price announcements from Dairygold and Tirlán that have set the comparative floor under cereals. Without a premium at least equivalent to those reference prices, growers say the contract loses its rationale for next season.

The IFA's move into a public meeting — rather than closed-door talks — signals the depth of frustration ahead of autumn plantings. Whether Boortmalt sends representatives to Carlow, or sends written terms, will set the tone for 2027 malting barley contracts.