Netherlands-based Heineken NV, the world's third largest brewer, is expected to post an 8.3 percent rise in first half revenue, driven by its part purchase of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N), Reuters reported on August, 19.

According to the average in a Reuters poll of 15 analysts, the Dutch brewer is expected to report earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), prior to exceptionals, of 927 million euros.

Beer volume in money terms is forecast to grow 4.9% to 61.5 mln euros in the first half. Revenues are expected to reach 6.943 bln euros. The net profit, however, is expected to be 0.2% lower than last year, at 407 mln euros.

Turkish brewer Anadolu Efes said on August, 20 it has acquired only 3.24%, or 6,858,785 shares of the issued share capital of Efes Breweries International (EBI), its subsidiary operating in the CIS and Georgia.

On 20 July 2009, Anadolu Efes made a recommended cash offer for the entire issued share capital of EBI other than the 148,457,429 shares already owned by Anadolu Efes (which represent approximately 70.22 per cent. of the issued share capital of EBI) at an offer price of US$2.22 in cash for each EBI Share, valuing each EBI GDR at US$11.10.

As at 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 19 August 2009 (being the first closing date of the Offer), Anadolu Efes had received valid acceptances in respect of 6,858,785 EBI Shares, representing approximately 3.24 per cent of the issued share capital of EBI.

Accordingly, as at 1.00 p.m. (London time) on 19 August 2009, the sum of EBI Shares that Anadolu Efes owned or for which it had received valid acceptances of the Offer was 155,316,214 EBI Shares, representing in aggregate approximately 73.46 per cent of the issued share capital of EBI.

The Turkish brewer declared the offer unconditional in all respects and said it will remain open for acceptance ...More Info

Bavaria S. A., SABMiller’s subsidiary in Colombia, will sell its 90.8% stake in Ecuadorian brewer Cervecería Nacional to SABMiller Latin America, Portafolio.com.co reported on August, 20.

The stake comprises more than 18 mln shares will be sold at US$29.17 each.

Total value of the transaction is estimated at US$542.7 mln.

In Poland, the pace of growth of beer sales slowed down to 3% after an outstanding year in 2007, when volume sales increased by more than 9% again, Euromonitor posted in a report on the nation’s beer market early this year.

For one thing, the per capita consumption of beer has moved closer to saturation point. For another, the jump in prices resulting from growing prices of raw materials such as barley and hops as well as increasing pressure in terms of personnel costs tempered demand for beer. What is more, weather conditions, with a relatively mild summer with temperatures lower than the average over the last 10 years, did not provide any impetus for faster increases in sales. Finally, the competition for sales share continued to intensify. Concerns about the impact of the financial crisis on consumers’ budgets helped reduce demand for beer as well, experts explain.

The 2008 percentage volume sales increase was slower than the average annual rate of growth in the review period as a whole. The per capita consumption of beer was 95 litres in Poland in 2008. This means that space for growth is limited. Poland is the 10th biggest beer market in the world, and ...More Info

Singapore-listed Thai Beverage, Thailand's largest brewer, is looking at acquiring stakes in beverage firms in Thailand, Philippines and Singapore, an executive was quoted by Reuters on August, 21.

"We are working on four due diligences on beverage firms - two in Singapore, one in Thailand and one in the Philippines," Sithichai Chaikriangkrai, a finance director at the firm, said.

He declined to give the names of the firms or the size of the stakes.

Philippine firm San Miguel Corp said earlier this month it is in talks with foreign groups to sell a substantial stake in its liquor arm Ginebra San Miguel Inc in coming months.

Beverage firms listed in Singapore include Del Monte Pacific , Fraser & Neave and Asia Pacific Breweries.

Sithichai said Thai Beverage had also been approached by global investment banks, namely Barclays, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Royal Bank of Scotland to acquire beverage firms in Russia, India, Sri Lanka and China.

"Our goal is to have international revenues to account for a third of our revenues in three years, from about 5 percent now," Sithichai said.

Czech brewery Rodinny pivovar Bernard returned to the black last year, posting a net profit of nearly Kc6 mln against a loss of Kc7.7 mln in 2007, CTK reported on August, 21.

Total sales grew from Kc277.7 mln in 2007 to Kc350.6 mln in 2008. Beer sales alone exceeded Kc328 mln against Kc251 mln in 2007.

"The growth was caused by an increase in total output as well as a rise of the Bernard beer price," the company’s annual report says.

The brewery's output in 2008 increased by 20 percent year-on-year to a record-high 188,000 hectolitres of beer. Exports accounted for more than 12 percent of the total output. The volume of exported beer grew by nearly 29 percent to 23,300 hectolitres. Half of this amount went to Slovakia. The exports also headed for Russia, Sweden, Australia, Japan, the USA and other countries.

This year the company plans to raise revenues from sales of beer by 8.4 percent and to reach a profit of around Kc8.5 mln.

In Jan-June this year the brewery raised beer output by 5 percent year-on-year to 95,455 hectolitres in spite of the overall decrease in domestic beer industry output, spokesman Zdenek Mikulasek said.

The brewery's beer sales in H1 2009 grew ...More Info

Canadian Wheat Board reminds Canadian farmers that maltsters have zero tolerance for the use of pre-harvest chemicals such as glyphosate on malting barley, Saskatoonhomepage.ca posted on August, 19.

According to Doug Munro, the CWB's malting barley program manager, maltsters are even more concerned that this summer's adverse weather conditions and late harvest may lead to increased use.

The caution against glyphosate applies only to malting barley and is not a concern for other crops like wheat, durum and feed barley, Munro said.

He understands there may be some confusion among farmers, because some companies are sending mixed messages about glyphosate use.

Munro says it is an industry standard that there is a zero tolerance for desiccants or any glyphosate residue on malting barley and the policy isn't new.

Zero tolerance for glyphosate residues on malting barley has been part of selected barley contracts for many years.

He says if it was found, due to the conditions in the contract, the barley would be rejected.

If farmers have questions about glyphosate use they should contact their selector, the malt companies, or the grain companies.

Munro says when using any chemicals on malting barley, farmers need to strictly follow label rates and pre-harvest intervals.

S. Tejinder

Abstract:
J. Inst. Brew. 113(2), 219–227, 2007 The effect of a high temperature–high humidity treatment (HTHHT) of germinated unkilned barley on malt quality and extract characteristics was studied. Two samples of six-row barley were steeped to 42% moisture and germinated, with and without gibberellic acid, at 15°C for 5 days. The germinated barley was placed in a high humidity (75–80%) atmosphere maintained at 45, 55, and 65°C, respectively. For each temperature, treatments were carried out for 30, 60 and 90 min, respectively. At 45°C for 30–60 min, the malts developed high diastatic power and proteolytic activity. The high values for cold water extract and reducing sugars in the extracts indicated extensive amylolysis of starch granules during HT-HHT of the germinated barley at 55– 65°C. The worts were light in colour, with a pH of 5.3–5.8 and titratable acidity was in the range of 0.09–0.23%. A consistent increase in soluble nitrogen and Kolbach index was observed in the malts treated at 45–55°C for 30–90 min. Free -amino nitrogen of the malts was in the desirable range of 120–150 mg L–1. Therefore, HT-HHT can be useful for improving malt modifica tion and wort characteristics and to shorten the germination time for malts from poor quality barley. Key words: Extract analysis, germinated unkilned barley, high temperature–high humidity treatment, Kolbach index, malt. Load full article, 9 pages, 620 kb , PDF file