RS barley harvest exceeds expectations in quantity and quality

Emater/RS-Ascar is the only institution to classify all barley produced in Rio Grande do Sul. “Last week (16/11), the thousandth of the 3.500 samples expected until the end of the harvest was analyzed”, announced Gilceu Cippolat, Classification and Certification manager at Emater/RS-Ascar. Barley classification began on October 24th and should end on January 15th, and is carried out by 20 classification technicians at Ambev in Passo Fundo. With an area of ​​37.500 hectares of cultivation and an estimated productivity of 3.237 kg/ha, RS should produce 121.236 tons, which should generate a super harvest of barley. However, positive changes in this estimate cannot be ruled out, as the harvest results are still in progress, however, classification and quality have been the major differences. 

The most prominent regions are Frederico Westphalen, where the harvest is practically over, Ijuí, with 80% of the crops harvested and productivity of 3.000 to 4.000 kg/ha, and Soledade, where productivity in many crops reaches 4.800 kg/ha. “The excellent quality of the grain stands out, with class 1 classification and germination above 96%, ideal for brewing malt”, highlights Cippolat. 

Emater/RS-Ascar has been providing classification services to Ambev for 21 years, analyzing items such as foreign matter and impurities, moisture and protein, carrying out mycotoxin tests (deoxynivalenol) and calculating the product's germination power. After this entire process, the barley is sent to the warehouses of Pradozem, the largest grain storage company in Latin America, where it is segregated by silo according to its quality. This classified barley is sent to breweries to be malted and passed on for the production of beers. To be malted, barley must have 95% germination power, otherwise it is used for feed.   

The classification service provided by Emater/RS-Ascar has traceability throughout the entire process, from grain production, and international certifications, which attest to its quality, such as ISO 9001 (certifying the quality of products and services), ISO 17.025 ( ensuring quality management / specific to laboratories) and ISO 17.065 (storage certification).