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• Israel: Moshe Podhorzer sold his stake in Tempo Beer Industries on December 28 to Jacques Bar and Amir Bornstein. They will share ownership of Tempo with Heineken ...more info



• The Kirin Brewery survey of beer consumption worldwide found that the United States consumed the largest total volume of beer, with a yearly consumption rate of 23.82 million kiloliters ...more info



• Russia: For St. Petersburg in general the year 2003 was a year of hope for the next four years, Pyotr Chernyshyov, General Director of Vena Brewery told St. Petersburg Times ...more info



• The volumes of beer consumption in Russia will increase 17% by 2005, according to the forecasts of Business Analitika. According to the same source the demand on spirits will decrease 14% by 2005 ...more info



• German brewery Altenburger Brauerei is entering the New Year with a new beer. The brewer announced on December 29 that Altenburger Lager will be launched on 1 January ...more info



• Japanese brewing force, Asahi, is expected to acquire a 50% holding in Tingyi Holding Corp to take a large step into China’s beverage market ...more info

2. Brewery News

Brazil's leading beverage company, AmBev - Companhia de Bebidas das Américas, has announced that its total investment in Peru for 2003 and 2004 will reach the value of US$80 million. AmBev, the world fifth largest brewer, began building a new plant in the suburbs of the Peruvian capital Lima earlier this year. It is expected to begin production in the second quarter of 2004. The beer produced in the plant will be earmarked for the Peruvian market and the markets of the neighbouring countries, according to the company. The investment underlines AmBev’s commitment to its internationalisation strategy. AmBev is currently present in most South and Latin American countries. Total annual sales volumes in the Peruvian market were approximately 5.6 million hectoliters in 2002, representing revenues of close to US$400 million. Annual consumption per capita averaged 22.0 liters, among the lowest in the region, while average consumer prices ranked among the highest in the region.

Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd expects the duty-paid beer market in 2004 to be “flat” or even be on a decline due to the 10% increase in excise duties on liquor in Budget 2004 and smuggling of beer products in the peninsula, according to The Edge Daily. Its marketing manager Jan Hertz said the duty hike was impacting Carlberg’s sales. However, he said the detailed figures could only be revealed when the financial results for the fourth quarter ending Dec 31 were released. He said the duty increase had encouraged the growth of smuggled beer market because consumers were price-sensitive. “When they feel the prices going up, they will migrate to cheaper products. That’s something we are very worried about.” “That’s why we are taking a lot of initiatives to drive the sales further. But we are looking at a flat market or even a decrease in the beer market next year,” he said after launching Carlsberg’s new can design in Shah Alam yesterday. Despite a slow growth expectation, Hertz said Carlsberg would work to defend its dominant position in the beer market. “We are enjoying a market share in the high side of 50s. We will try to maintain our position by staying relevant by recruiting younger drinkers and keeping our loyal core drinkers,” he said. In April, Carlsberg reportedly enjoyed a 64% market share for duty-paid beer segment. Its chairman Datuk Jorgen Bornhoft had said then that the brewer would not mind making less profit for the short term if that was necessary to defend its dominance amid a price war in the market. Herzt said the new can design was an effort by Carlsberg to benefit from higher beer sales expected in January, the month of the Chinese New Year festive season. “The new design has been quite a long process. It took us about 18 months to come up with it. “Canned beer is a big seller in festive seasons. That’s why we want to get it in before the Chinese New Year,” he said. It is estimated that 30% of all beer sold annually is in cans.

Japan's third-largest brewer, Sapporo Holdings Ltd, saw on December 30 its stocks up 3.19 % or 9 yen at 291 yen after Sapporo said on December 29 that sales of its Yebisu brand premium beer are set to exceed 10 million cases for the first time ever this year. The company said that Yebisu beer shipments would reach 10.01 million cases by the end of Tuesday, the final shipment date in 2003, up 16.7 % from the previous year, according to Reuters. The Yebisu brand comprises of Yebisu and Yebisu Black. Although Yebisu shipments are set to drop by 0.4% on last year, Yebisu Black was only launched in May of this year. Other beer makers were also higher, with Kirin Brewery Co up 0.66 % at 909 yen and Asahi Breweries Ltd up 2.43 % at 970 yen.

Market share of brewing companies in Russia, in %

In 2003 Russia harvested about 6 million tones of barley, and only 450 thousand tones of this barley has brewing standard qualities, V. Mamontov, the president of Russian Beer Union told e-malt.com at a press-conference on December 30. Now Russia cannot be supplied with high quality malt from internal market. That is why Russia imports up to 70% of malt, V. Mamontov said. Russian brewing industry needs about 1.2 million tones of barley per year. In the next two years this figure will come to 1.5 million tones. Russia also imports about 80% of hop for brewing.

Western Australia's Agriculture Minister, Kim Chance has stepped in to allow the export of 35,000 tonnes of malting barley to China, after the application was rejected by the state's Grain Licensing Authority, ABC National Rural News posted on December 30. The issue is a sensitive one, because Western Australia's Grain Pool has had a strong hold on the Chinese market. The Minister intervened after the New South Wales-based trader, Brooks Grain, appealed against the Authority's decision. Mr Chance says he doesn't think the shipment will affect the Grain Pool's ability to gain a premium in the Chinese market. Look, I think they analysed the facts that were before them, I analysed the facts that were before me, we came up with different conclusions. I think you've got to point to the marginality of the decision, even though I believed on the information available to me that it was quite a clear decision, but possibly the GLA was reluctant to make that decision in this particular market because of the sensitivity around the long term relationship that the Grain Pool has with the Chinese malting market."

The Czech Republic exported 180,000 tonnes of malting barley in 2002, Slovakia 160,000 tonnes. Exact figures of the Russian malt production for 2003/2004 are not available; imports were 550,000 tonnes in 2002. Barley deficits in Russia and Ukraine are hypothetical figures, based on EU quality standards. As domestic barleys have a great price advantage, the industry will accept wrong proteins, germination and sanitary condition in order to minimize expensive imports.


6. Theoretical malt prices.

January 2004: The 2004 Barley Day; INTERNATIONAL FOOD & DRINK EXHIBITION (IFDE 2004);
February 2004: Pianeta Birra - Beverage & Co. International Show of Beers, Beverages; HOFEX 2004 Food & Drink; Canadian Food & Beverage Show;
March 2004: International course - Malting and Brewing Science; FOODEX Japan 2004; ANTAD 2004; 2004 BIENNIAL CONVENTION; Beer Auction 2004, the international exhibition of beer, technology and equipment; China Drinktec 2004. China International Exhibition on Beverage and Brewing Processing Technology

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