In 2003 Russian beer market will see a growth of 10% versus 2002, Russian analysts has recently reported. Under the last year statistics, Russia is considered the fifth largest beer market in the world outrunning United Kingdom. The first half of the year is thought by the analysts to be hard for the Russian brewers. Sales volumes increased only by 3% versus the same period last year to 36.35 million hl of beer. The low growth rate is attributed to the poor results registered in the first quarter of the year when Russian beer marked decreased by 4.9% versus the same period last year.

Under the analysts’ forecast market share of the foreign companies (the biggest – BBH and Sun Interbrew) in the Russian beer market in 2003 will not exceed 60%. Big Russian breweries Ochakovo and Krasny Vostok are still national companies. However, next year the world largest brewer Anheuser-Bush is expected to enter Russian beer market who might buy Ochakovo or Krasny Vostok.

08 December, 2003