As the record-breaking drought continues, beer has emerged as an unexpected helper to Australian farmers. Not the beer itself, but the by-product of brewing it, has proved useful as feed to cattle.
With the price of hay surging to more than $400 per tonne in the past six months, farmers are turning to citrus peels and other alternatives to supplement the diet of their livestock.
In the process of making beer, heat is applied to grains, such as barley and wheat, to extract sugar. What’s left over is a porridge-like mixture that is helping feed Australian cattle.