Barley

Barley is the mild nutty flavoured grain that is covered with bran and an outer shell. There are typically two varieties of barley available – hulled barley and pearl barley. While the hulled barley is more nutritious with just its outer shell removed and bran intact, pearl barley has got both hull and bran removed and hence, is less nutritious comparatively. However, it still has many valuable nutrients required for one’s good health. So, whatever be the form, barley is considered as nutritious grain which has been cultivated and consumed by humans since ages.

It is also a rich source of several vitamins, fibre, protein, iron, minerals and anti-oxidants that benefits human health to the most. A diet including barley can improve one’s digestion, help in controlling blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and can also aid in weight loss.

Barley is exported to over 102 countries . In the year 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov), India has exported Barley worth of 20.86 USD million. The total volume of export in 2020-2021 (Apr-Nov) was around 23672479 metric tonnes.

Uses of Barley Seeds:

Barley is used as an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Barley is used for animal feeds and cattle feeds as well as human food.

INGREDIENTS

BARLEY VARIETIES WE EXPORT

There are many different varieties of Barley grown in India. Barley import from India includes most of these varieties like Azad, Ratna, Vijaya so on and so forth. The Barley exporter in India exports most of these varieties to the world. The key varieties included in the export of Barley from India are.

1. AZAD (K.125)

The Azad variety is generally suitable for cultivation in areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. This variety of barley is said to have a fair degree of resistance to yellow rust disease. K.125 is good as fodder and grain. The Azad variety generally matures in 115-120 days. It has a yield potential of about 35-38 quintals of grain per hectare under irrigated conditions.

2. RATNA

The Ratna variety of Barley was released for rainfed areas of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. This variety is said to be highly tolerant of saline and alkaline soil conditions. Ratna is said to mature within around 125-130 days and gives a fairly good yield even under unfavorable environmental conditions. The plants of this variety have a good tillering ability.

3. VIJAYA

Vijaya variety has been released for the rainfed regions of western Uttar Pradesh, I Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. It matures in about 120-125 days. The plants of the Vijaya variety are shorter in height as compared to other varieties of Barley. This variety has a yield potential of 30-35 quintals of grains per hectare.

4. RS-6

Developed in Rajasthan, the RS-6 variety of Barley is suitable for cultivation under both rainfed as well as irrigated conditions. This variety has generally been recommended for central and eastern Rajasthan. It matures in about 130-135 days and has a yield potential of 35 to 40 quintals of grain per hectare.

5. RANJIT (DL- 70)

Ranjit or DL-70 is a six-row and heavy tillering variety of Barley recommended for commercial cultivation in only Punjab. This variety is suitable for growing under irrigated conditions. It has a yield potential of 30-35 quintals of grains per hectare.

6. C- L64

The C-164 variety of Barley is a tall, six-row variety with compact ears and long awns. This grain is usually bold, bright and amber. C-14 is said to be resistant to yellow rust. It has stiff straw and is thus more suitable for cultivation under irrigated conditions. The yield of this variety is around 30-32 quintals of grain per hectare.

7. LSB-2

LSB is known to be a six-row naked type barley variety. It is a variety suitable for growing at a higher altitude like Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh hills. Maturing in about 145-150 days, this variety has a yield potential of 25-30 quintals of grain per hectare.