Zacatecas Field Day 2015

By Team SmartBarley  /  Nov. 28, 2015

 

We here at AB InBev were curious to see if the team in Mexico could top last year’s Zacatecas Field Day, which included a visit from the state governor and his 100 person brass band. They did not disappoint!

In early September, over 300 growers visited the Modelo brewery and malt house in Zacatecas for a day of barley discussions, SmartBarley technology demonstrations, plant tours, conversations with AB InBev leadership, lots of good local food and, of course, a few cold and refreshing Modelo beers. Our resident barley expert Dr. Marcial Ortiz was on hand to show growers research plots of the new barley varieties Grupo Modelo will be introducing in the coming years, as well as and crop management trials such as sowing date to seeding rate experiments. It also was a great opportunity for our agronomists and growers to connect and discuss this year’s harvest as well as projects and goals for the coming years. And there are quite a few things for our growers to look forward to…

Mexico Zone President Ricardo Tadeu addressed the large crowd to discuss AB InBev’s dream to become self-sufficient in domestic malt barley in Mexico by 2017. To achieve this dream, our growers, agronomists and leadership will work closely together to increase barley production through improved varieties, new technologies and crop management practices, and increased grower access to capital. The tent was buzzing with Tadeu’s challenge, and the growers and Grupo Modelo team left the event charged for the work ahead!