Czech beverages producer Drinks Union made earnings of more than Kc67 million in January-September, compared with CZK47 million a year ago, with sales up one percent at nearly Kc906 million, CFO Miroslav Bretsnajdr told CTK October 23, Czech News Agency reported the same day.

The improvement came thanks to cost cuts and higher sales of spirits, he added. Spirits sales rose by almost 17 percent to 40,000 hectolitres. On the other hand, revenues from beer sale were stagnant. Drinks Union produced over 682,000 hectolitres of beer in its four breweries - Zlatopramen, Velke Brezno, Louny, Kutna Hora - a decline of some two percent against the same period of 2005. The management attributes the decline in beer sale especially to long winter and lower demand in cold weather.

Drinks Union is the fourth largest Czech beer maker and the country's biggest beer exporter to Germany. Its unit KB Liker is the third largest liqueur producer in the Czech Republic. The group is in the hands of several individuals.

According to the Federal Service of National Statistics, in the first three quarters of 2006 beer production increased by 8.6% reaching 77 million hl. As per these figures, Russia ranks the fifth beer producer in the world, The Russian Brewers Union communicated October 19.

In 2005, the Russian beer output totaled 89.2 million hl, 6% more year-on-year.

The world’s largest beer producer is China, with a national beer output of 300 million hl, followed by USA (240 million hl, Germany (97 million hl) and Brazil (92 million hl). In 2005, brewers across the world brewed 1.576 billion hl of beer.

Beijing Yanjing Brewery, China's second-biggest beer producer by market value, said third-quarter profit rose 5 percent, International Herald Tribune published October 23. Net income rose to CHY142 million or $18 million from CHY135.1 million a year earlier. Sales rose 9 percent to CHY2.06 billion from CHY1.9 billion.

Yanjing Brewery’ shares rose 1.94 percent to CHY7.90 after it said its third-quarter net profit rose 5 percent, The Standard commented October 25.

Reports cited October 23 the Brewery Association of Japan according to which beer exports between during the first 3 quarters of 2006 stood at 40.95 million cases of 20 beer bottles each, 4.7% less year-on-year, including the shipments of low-malt happoshu. Analysts say the decline is the most abrupt since 1992 and was driven by bad weather and anti-drink initiatives.

Among the domestic beer producers, Kirin Brewery Co was in control of 38% of the national beer market between January and September 2006. It was closely fallowed by its main competitor Asahi Breweries which earned a 37.3% stake in the domestic beer market during the first three quarters of 2006.

Idaho barley prices ranged from unchanged to $1.06 higher between October 16 and 19, the Idaho Barley Commission released October 19. USDA reported export sales at 61,900 t for Japan and unknown destinations between October 09 and 13. Barley exports were reported at 1,200 t for Mexico and Taiwan.

The EU Grains Management Committee did not receive any bids this week for either free market barley exports or release of intervention barley stocks for export. Japan purchased 5,000 t of Australian malting barley in this week’s grain import tender. USDA is now pegging the Australian barley crop at 4.5 million t, down 3 million t from last month’s projection and 54% below last year.

On October 20, the Soil Products Office of Turkey (TMO) informed that it would start exporting grains, AgriMarket.Info released October 20. On November, 2, they are going to set a selling tender for 125,000 tonnes of barley. Deadline is on November, 11.

According to the tender conditions grain will be shipped by three lots: 50,000 tonnes (port Mersin) and 45.000 tonnes (port Iskenderun) from November 20 till December, 05; 30,000 tonnes - from the 6th till 20th of December.