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Idaho's reliable, high quality barley production attracts malting plants
to Idaho Falls
Anheuser Busch,
the world's largest brewing company and largest buyer of Idaho barley,
completed construction of their Idaho Falls malt
plant doubling their existing 8 million bu. capacity to 16 million bu. malt
(about 14 million bu. barley). This expansion is expected to create an
additional demand for two-row malting barley.
At
the recent dedication of the expanded malt barley plant, August Busch III, chairman of the
board of Anheuser Busch said, “Idaho producers have shown us that they take
great pride in producing the very best quality malting barley.”
"The world's finest beers are made with the highest
quality ingredients, and this expansion further enhances the consistent
supply of high quality malt that we provide to our beer company," said
Donald Kloth, chairman of the board and CEO of Busch Agricultural Resources,
Inc., the company's agricultural subsidiary.
The
company opened a malting plant at Idaho Falls in 1991. Today,
Anheuser-Busch contracts more than 20 million bushels of Idaho barley each
year.
Grupo Modelo,
Mexico’s largest brewing company, is constructing a new 6.5
million bu. malt house (6 million bu. two-row malting barley) in an adjacent location in
Idaho Falls. The first phase is expected to be online in January 2005 and
the plant should be fully operational in July 2005.
Modelo is the leader in production &
marketing of beer in Mexico, with about 61% market-share. Their leading beer
-Corona - is the top imported beer in the U.S., capturing nearly 28% share
of the imported beer market last year.
This Mexican investment will allow Grupo Modelo, ranked
9th among the top ten world brewers, to ensure that its requirements of
two-row malt will continue to be satisfied. "Modelo has chosen the State of
Idaho because of the stability, quality and availability of its 2-row
irrigated barley and the commitment of Idaho's farmers to producing top
quality agricultural products," according to Grupo Modelo's Investor
Relations office.
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