The area given over to barley planting has fallen to the lowest since 2010 across the country as more people stop drinking alcohol
Farmers have slashed the amount of barley they grow to a 16 year low as more people shun booze, say experts.
Figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board revealed a sharp 12% year-on-year fall in the area given over to the crop this year across the country.
Barley is a key ingredient for making many types of beer, as well as other drinks.
However, alcohol consumption has been steadily falling as Brits become more health conscious. The cost of a pint has also played a part, fuelling a wave of pub closures over recent years.
According to the AHDB, some 930,000 hectares of barley has been planted this year, 17% lower than the five-year. The body attributed the fall “lower demand for the ingredient from brewers and distillers.”
The decline has been also more dramatic in Scotland, where barley is used to make malt whisky. The AHDB says barley planting in Scotland is down 13% to its lowest level since the 1960s.
“The trend of drinking less alcohol is starting to work through the system – farmers are definitely aware of it,” said Andrew Williamson, vice-chair of the crops board at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) told the Times.
A record 200 million pints of no and low alcohol beer were expected to have been sold in the UK by the end of last year.
The British Beer and Pub Association forecast the market would surge by around a fifth in 2025, with 22 million “no and low” pints expected to be poured in December alone. Sales still only account for around 2.7% of the UK’s total beer market.
The BBPA claims the drinks are being held back by UK rules which state a bevvy must be below 0.05% ABV (alcohol by volume) to be labelled alcohol free. It says the figure in many countries is 0.5%.
Recent data by Drinkaware shows almost one in two drinkers consumed no and low alcohol in the past year, up from 22% in 2021.
