MOSA’s success relies not only on a sound commercial management but also, and among other factors, on its capacity to keep strong bonds with the barley producers, who are regarded as integral components of our supply chain.
One of MOSA’s main pillars is the producer, who takes up risks and uses its full expertise in order to produce barley at its maximum potential.
Consequently, we find it fundamental to support our barley producers and distributors by resorting to our technicians’ permanent support as well as by keeping all communication channels permanently open
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
Barley origination is based on our distributors’ direct hiring in different parts of our country that take up several departments: Colonia, San José, Flores, Florida, Soriano and Rio Negro.
MOSA is currently using an IT system that comprises georeferencing and an online database. This allows us to track every hired farm as well as the tasks developed there. This way, it is possible to assure the traceability and quality of the barley that will be entering the industrial process.
SEED PRODUCTION
MOSA’s main objective regarding seeds is producing and trading sufficient quantities of the best barley seeds for the malting market. Such are seeds of proven malting quality, with the best physical and physiological quality, with high productive potential and at a competitive price year after year.
This implies that seed production is certified and controlled in order to fulfil the highest quality standards within the frame of national regulations set and assessed by the National Seed Institute (Uruguay). Such certification takes place in every step of the production process, from sowing, crop development, harvesting, labelling and packing of the seed lots.
MOSA is also a member of the main seed producers’ national institutions: the Uruguayan Seed Chamber (CUS) and the Uruguayan Breeders Association (URUPOV).
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The Malting Barely Program’s main objective is to develop spring barley varieties with prime malting and agronomic quality. With that purpose in mind, the company focuses on a field selection of heterogeneous germplasm supplied by renowned improvement programs from Europe and the region.
The aforementioned Field selection means an average annual assessment of 400 genotypes at an experimental level in different locality trails within the core barley production area.
The agronomic behaviour characterization of each cultivar takes into account their performance, adaptability to a variety of environments and resistance to disease
This agronomic selection is complemented by a Malting Quality selection. Data for such purpose is collected by malting small quantities of grain in our micro malting plant, which considerably shortens the selection process.
In addition, MOSA’s Malting Breeding Program and its Agricultural and Industrial Area have been members of the National Board of Malting Barley Entities (MNECC) since 1992.
The Board is composed by the National Research Institute for Agriculture (INIA), the University of the Republic, Agronomy School, (FAGRO), the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay (LATU), LATITUD (LATU´s Foundation), the National Seed Institute (INASE) and the malting companies. It was set up in order to “carry out a National Research and Technological Improvement Program for the Crops as well as for the process, with the objective of producing high quality malting barley.” Having such space devoted to work and technical discussion has made it possible to assemble malting barley research and production activities with a countrywide scope.
