Scoular opens concentrated barley protein manufacturing plant

U.S. agribusiness eyes the aquaculture and pet food sectors

U.S.-based agribusiness Scoular on Tuesday celebrated the opening of a new facility in Idaho that will produce a concentrated barley protein for aquaculture feeds.

The company says Emerge™ is a first-of-its-kind product that can help meet growing demand for plant-based, sustainable ingredients for the aquaculture and pet food sectors. Emerge is created through a patent-pending process that concentrates the protein naturally found in whole barley kernels, creating a nutrient-dense ingredient.

“Scoular is proud to develop this innovative feed product and partner with Idaho’s barley farmers and pet food and aquafeed manufacturers to add value throughout the supply chain,” said Scoular CEO Paul Maass in a statement. “Scoular has a long history of success with our Jerome, Idaho, teams and customers, and we are thrilled to make additional investments in this region.”

“Idaho is the top-producing barley state in the U.S., growing 37 percent of the nation’s crop in 2021,” Laura Wilder, executive director of the Idaho Barley Commission, who attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Jerome. “Scoular’s new facility will bring expanded opportunities for growers, further strengthening Idaho’s place as the No. 1 source of consistent, high-quality barley in the U.S.”

Emerge is both traceable and non-GMO, the company added in a press release. The facility is expected to begin commercial production next month.

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