Each spring, the National Barley Improvement Committee takes a contingency of barley enthusiasts to Washington D.C. to lobby on behalf of the malting barley industry and it’s various end-users. Platforms focus on securing both funding and favorable agricultural policies at the federal level. NBIC has been successful in bringing $15 million in annual funding to the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, establishing and securing support for the Small Grain Genomics Initiative, and most recently, the Barley Pest Initiative.
Objectives
- Serve as a national forum for discussion of matters important to barley research, production and utilization
- Serve in an information distribution capacity to all persons interested in barley
- Identify national and regional priorities and encourage their adoption and proper funding
- Serve in an advisory capacity as is appropriate to national or regional groups