1. Trading offer & request

At this moment there is one OFFER for 3000 tons of malt on the trading portal www.e-malt.com

• Offer for 1-3000 mtons of malt, 2RS Scarlet/Astoria, crop 2003, Bulk, delivery 1/11/2003 - 30/6/2004, at EUR 263.00/mton, FOB Antwerp. (to see and make a bid to the malt offer, please click here to view code MF0107P1435)
  
  

 Top Industry News 

• Beer production by state in Germany ... Click here
  
  
• The world's second largest brewer SABMiller plc ("SABMiller") and China's No.4 brewer, Harbin Brewery Group Limited ("Harbin"), announced on June 29 that SABMiller acquired a 29.6% stake in Harbin ... Click here
  
  
• Venezuela’s brewing force, Cerveceria Polar, has reported that it is forecasting its beer sales in 2003 to fall to 1.1 - 1.15 billion litres ... Click here
  
  
• The Southern Bohemia region and the town of Ceske Budejovice have intentions to acquire a majority stake in the state-owned brewer, Budejovicky Budvar ... Click here
  
  
• Malt: Slovakia granted export subsidies retroactively. From 2004 onwards after accession to the EU such special grants will be impossible Click here
  
  
• The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has introduced an early payment option (EPO) for malting barley ... Click here
  
  
• EU Crops and Markets: In the period of May 21 - June 3 shippers booked 292,000 tons of export licences at zero restitution ... Click here
  
  

More news is available on site www.e-malt.com  

• The Belgian brewing force, Interbrew, is expected to lodge a complaint with French competition authorities this week over the control exerted on the French beer market by its competitors, Heineken and S&N-owned Kronenbourg ...more info



• Baltika, the top Russian beer brand, will be launched in the United Kingdom this week. The action is a part of Scottish & Newcastle's strategy to develop its regional brands internationally ...more info



• Bulgaria based brewer, Zagorka, mainly owned by Brewinvest, has posted 16% rise of its net profit for 2002 versus 2001 reaching the value of BL4.6 million (EUR 2.37 million) ...more info



• The Danish beer maker, Carlsberg Breweries, announced on July 1, 2003 that it is selling the production facilities of its German subsidiary Hannen in Mönchengladbach to the German brewery Oettinger Brauhaus GmbH ...more info



• The workers of one of Canada’s oldest and most successful companies Labatt Brewing Co., based in Montreal city, have overwhelmingly rejected the brewer's latest contract offer which the company called a final one ...more info



• German beer consumption has slumped by 7 % during the first five months of the year in the wake of confusion that followed the introduction of new recycling rules in the country ...more info



• Scottish & Newcastle Plc, Britain's largest beer maker has posted a 15 % rise in annual profits on July 1, 2003 and said trading in May and June had been more encouraging than earlier in the year ...more info




2. Brewery News

Beer production by state in Germany

Production (1000 hl)



	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Baden-Württemberg	9,022	8,619	8,023	7,987	7,881	7,647	7,641
Bayern	24,900	24,800	23,500	23,300	22,900	22,214	22,478
Berlin/Brandenburg	4,349	4,383	4,221	3,933	3,724	3,919	3,902
Hessen	7,329	7,092	6,547	6,235	5,932	4,088	3,603
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern	1,829	1,973	2,131	1,517	1,959	2,392	2,715
Niedersachsen/Bremen	11,088	12,053	11,815	12,143	12,446	10,300	10,620
Nordrhein-Westfalen	30,482	29,937	29,263	29,355	28,744	29,062	28,598
Rheinland-Pfalz/Saarland	8,893	8,877	9,113	9,325	8,162	8,539	8,374
Sachsen	7,118	7,681	7,807	8,325	8,439	8,540	8,751
Sachsen-Anhalt	1,831	2,154	2,267	2,302	2,382	2,475	2,689
Schleswig-Holstein/Hamburg	4,491	4,663	4,337	4,683	4,732	5,224	4,850
Thüringen	2,394	2,600	2,670	3,084	3,127	3,414	3,492
Total Germany	114,200	114,800	111,700	112,800	110,428	107,815	107,714



Source: 1996-2000 Deutscher Brauer-Bund, Bonn

2001-2002 Brauwelt 08/2003

The world's second largest brewer SABMiller plc ("SABMiller") and China's No.4 brewer, Harbin Brewery Group Limited ("Harbin"), announced on June 29 that SABMiller acquired a 29.6% stake in Harbin from its largest shareholder, China Enterprise Development Fund ("CEDF"), for HK$675 million (US$87 million) in cash. The transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent. Under this agreement SABMiller and Harbin will explore possibilities for co-operation in areas such as sales, distribution and procurement. The transaction will be effected by the creation of a new subsidiary of SABMiller, Gardwell Limited ("Gardwell"), which will buy the CEDF shareholding. The stake in China's fourth-largest beer maker will boost SABMiller's market share in China to more than 15 %, making it the largest foreign player in the world's fastest-growing beer market, Roy Bagattini, managing director of SABMiller China, said in an interview...more info

Venezuela’s brewing force, Cerveceria Polar, has reported that it is forecasting its beer sales in 2003 to fall to 1.1 - 1.15 billion litres, versus 1.35 billion litres in 2002. Hernan Perez, Polar's director, attributes the impact on beer sales to the economic crisis in Venezuela. "The domestic beer market is forecast to contract by about 20% this year," Perez said. "In the case of Cerveceria Polar sales, we estimate that contraction will be slightly less than the market at around 15% to 20%." Polar, which is privately owned, controls around 75% of the Venezuelan beer market, making it one of the top five brewers in Latin America. Its principal brands are Polar, Solera, Polar Ice, Polar Light and Vox. Cervecería Polar is the 17th largest beer company in the world. Polar beer is the leader in the Venezuelan market and it is presently the tenth largest beer brand in the world.

The Southern Bohemia region and the town of Ceske Budejovice have intentions to acquire a majority stake in the state-owned brewer, Budejovicky Budvar, based in the town of Ceske Budejovice. The action followed the Czech Finance Ministry announcement that it was looking to privatise the brewer in the near future. “The region does not see any reason for privatising Budejovicky Budvar as it is a profitable business with good management and contributes around CKr3.0 million (EUR 95 thousand) to the state budget in taxes a month,” said Karel Vachta, the deputy governor of Southern Bohemia. Budvar is the country's third largest beer maker. Its annual output fell last year to 1.21 million hectolitres and pre-tax profit dropped to 280 million crowns ($10.2 million)...more info

3. Malt News

Malt: Slovakia granted export subsidies retroactively. From 2004 onwards after accession to the EU such special grants will be impossible. Slovaks accuse their Czech neighbours of subsidizing exports as well, as otherwise their "dumping prices" would be impossible.

4. Barley News

The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has introduced an early payment option (EPO) for malting barley. Like the early payment options for wheat and feed barley, the malting barley program will allow farmers to lock in 90 % of the Pool Return Outlook for their crop, less certain discounts, the Western Producer reported in a statement. "The EPO also provides farmers with an effective floor price," said CWB chair Ken Ritter, in a news release. "They can get more for their grain, but they won't get less." Farmers can sign up for the EPO between Aug. 1 and Nov. 28. Under the program, farmers get the initial payment upon delivery. Within 10 days, they receive the difference between the initial payment and 90 % of the PRO, less a discount for risk, time value of money and administration costs...more info

EU Crops and Markets: In the period of May 21 - June 3 shippers booked 292,000 tons of export licences at zero restitution, i.e. for malting barley destinations. Brazil was the largest buyer lately with min. 100,000 tons. Other destinations were Romania, Russia and Turkey in Europe, Colombia and Peru in South America, Canada, USA, possibly China and South Africa against contracts concluded some time ago. ‘Zero’ certificates booked are 1.5 Mill. tons now, we expect total malting barley exports of crop 2002 of 1.8 Mill. tons.