Ngola Brewery, located Lubango, Huila province, will largely invest in its production’s capacity in 2007, according to Angola Press, December 21.

The production could rise 600 thousand to 1 mil hl per day, said the company’s commercial manager.

The cost of the project is unknown, but from this increase, Ngola Brewery could become the biggest beer producer in Angola.

This year only $20 million have been invested in the company allowing a 70% production growth as well as a production chain’s installation with the capacity of 12 thousand racks per week.

The same source also mentioned the product’s quality amelioration before telling that Ngola was awarded a silver medal at the 45th edition of "World Selection 2006 Beers" in Brussels, Belgium.

Ngola Brewery, with more than 300 employees, handled its management to South African company S.A.B Miller, after a public tender.

Chinese beer maker Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd. said its controlling shareholder planned to transfer its entire 30.56 percent stake in the brewer to another unit as part of a share reform proposal, Reuters announced December 21.

Tsingtao said in a statement its controlling shareholder, state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the People's Government of Qingdao, planned to transfer all of its 399.82 million Tsingtao shares to its wholly owned Tsingtao Brewery Group Co. Ltd. at nil consideration.

The transfer would strengthen the management and rationalise the title of those shares, the Chinese brewer said. It gave no further details.

Tsingtao's Hong Kong-listed shares soared as much as 23.4 percent to an all time high of HK$13.60 on Wednesday, tracking a jump in its Shanghai listed A-shares following a share reform announcement.

Shares in Tsingtao Brewery Co. Ltd. , a major Chinese beer maker, soared as much 14.3 percent to an all time high of HK$12.60 after its Shanghai listed A-shares jumped 22.7 percent following a share reform announcement.

The company said each A share will get 0.24 yuan in cash, in addition to 0.178777 shares.

The CWB released its December Pool Return Outlook (PRO) for the 2006-07 crop years. The PRO for feed barley Pool A (which runs from August 1 to January 31) is unchanged versus November, while the PRO for feed barley Pool B (February to July 31) is C$6 per tone higher than last month. Projected designated barley pool returns are C$2 per tone higher than last month's PRO.

Feed barley
Pool A - Sales in this pool are approaching completion.
Pool B - Global feed grain prices have remained strong over the past month in light of tight global supplies. Uncertainty surrounding the Ukraine’s feed barley export program has also been supportive to prices in the near term.

Designated barley
Global malting barley supplies remain tight, supporting higher prices. However, malting barley customers are working to minimize consumption at these price levels, leaving overall demand more uncertain going forward.

According to National Agricultural Statistic Service report of December 15, the hop production for Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in 2006 totaled 57.7 million pounds, up 9 percent from the 2005 crop of 52.9 million pounds, and 4 percent above the 2004 production of 55.2 million pounds. Idaho’s production decreased 16 percent in 2006. Production in Washington and Oregon increased 12 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Washington showed a 2 percent acreage increase.

Oregon and Idaho acreage were down 2 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Yields increased in Washington to 2,058 pounds per acre, and in Oregon to 1,760 pounds per acre. Idaho yields averaged 1,613 pounds per acre, 27 pounds less than a year ago.

Washington growers produced 77 percent of the U.S. hop crop for 2006. Zeus, Columbus/Tomahawk, Galena, and Willamette were the leading varieties in Washington, accounting for 71 percent of the State’s hop crop.

In Oregon, Willamette and Nugget were the major varieties, accounting for 77 percent of the State’s hop production.