Barley, a member of the wheat family, is an important plant species used in malt and animal feed production as a member of the cereal group. In Turkey, 90% of barley consumption is used as animal feed, while the rest is used as malt in food industries such as beer production.

Barley ranks fourth among cereals in terms of production worldwide after corn, wheat and rice, and is the second most produced cereal in Turkey after wheat.

Protein content is an important factor in animal feed production for barley use. Barley with high protein content may decrease its nutritional value. Therefore, six-row barley with high protein content and lower spelt content is preferred in feed production. This makes barley a more nutritious feed source for animals.