ALMIRA, Wash. — Dan McKay estimates demand for his food barley has tripled within the past year, as the Japanese are increasingly pearling the grain to blend with rice for a nutritional boost.

McKay, founder and CEO of McKay seeds, believes a host of new food barley lines in development will position him well to expand his grower base into new areas and to provide a product that better meets the needs of his Japanese buyers.

McKay explained the Japanese can make certain health claims on products with his barley, based on its high content of a beneficial fiber called beta-glucan. The Idaho Barley Commission has secured the right for U.S. companies to make similar health claims, but McKay and other suppliers are still waiting for food barley to catch on domestically.

In Japan, McKay said food barley as a rice replacer “rocketed in popularity” after a popular television program featured its health benefits.

“I think there’s a lot of companies involved in trying to supply that demand,” McKay said. “We’re one of those companies, and we’re pretty excited about the market compared with a year ago.”

McKay contracts for fewer than 20,000 acres of food barley in Eastern Washington, in the Palouse and the Bonners Ferry area of Northern Idaho, but he said grower interest in the crop has been significant. The main variety his growers raise is BG 012, which produces a short plant requiring high rainfall. His son, Michael, is the barley breeder with Highland Specialty Grains, which was formed in 2013 when Monsanto sold its barley program. Michael McKay said he’s close to releasing a couple of taller food lines capable of yielding better in medium rainfall areas, which he selected from crosses made by the former program. This year, he’ll also begin yield testing of his own food barley crosses in the sixth field generation — bred to pearl without cracking and to stay white longer after cooking.

“We’re trying to get an end product to look similar to rice,” Michael McKay said.

He invests about 40 percent of his time in breeding food barley, and he believes food barley production will expand into Southern Idaho as the domestic market grows. In the near term, he anticipates more water-efficient options will expand production farther beyond the Palouse.

Tim Dillin, who raises food barley near Bonners Ferry, said the price growers receive per ton is nearly double the rate for feed barley.

“Last year was the best (food barley) yield we ever had on it, and it was a very profitable crop,” said Dillin, who will increase his food barley planting by about 80 acres this spring. “They filled up their contracts pretty quick this year.”

Wes Hubbard, who represents Northern Idaho on the Idaho Barley Commission, also plans to increase his food barley acres this season.

“As demand increases, Southern Idaho will have to step up and fill that,” Hubbard said.