Where do grains go? Barley & Oats
Barley and oat production in Ontario is relatively small compared to other grain commodities. On average, 111,000 metric tonnes of barley are produced on 77,000 acres each year, and 74,000 metric tonnes of oats are on 75,000 acres.
Did you know? One acre of grain is roughly the same size as 2.5 hockey rinks.
Ontairo use for barley
Did you know that almost all of the barley that is produced in Ontario is used locally?
56% of the barley grown is mostly used in animal feed for beef and dairy cattle, as a high energy feed due to its digestibility and nutrient contents!
Barley is also used in food for human consumption and pet food- or about 42% of the barley harvested each fall. In pet food, the fibre found in barley supports the digestive health in dogs and cats.
Food for human consumption includes de-hulled, pearled, toasted, and barley flakes. From there this barley can be used in soups, breads, cereals or sold as whole grain barley in the grocery store! There is also a small percentage of barley grown specifically for seed.
Ontario use of oats
Most of the oats that are produced in Ontario stay in Ontario (71%). 31% of those oats will be used in food for human consumption, like oat flakes and flours that are used as ingredients in cereals and cereal bars. Oats offer a balanced content of protein, fibre, and energy and can often be found as a versatile feed source for livestock, pet and horse feed.
Fun Fact: most of Ontario oats that are grown for food are actually produced in Northern and Easter Ontario! The climatic conditions in these regions produce a higher quality oat more suitable for the milling industry.