Ukraine: OAO Sarmat (Donetsk), which is one of the four largest brewing companies of Ukraine, increased its beer output in 2003 by 17.3 % versus the previous year - up to 152.71 million litres, AgriMarket.Info reported on January 9.

In December Sarmat produced 10.36 million litres of beer, which is 36.6 % more than in December 2002. The company is the head enterprise of the Donetsk Brewing Group. It also includes OAO Beer and Light Beverage Combine Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk), ZAO Lugansk Brewery, ZAO Poltava Beer, ZAO Kiev Brewery No. 1 and ZAO Beer and Light Beverage Combine Crimea (Simferopol).

"Sarmat" owns 51 % of share of Beer and Light Beverage Combine Dnepr, 90.6 % share of Lugansk Brewery, 90.5 % share of Poltava Beer, 77.26 % share of Kiev Brewery No. 1, 93.98 % share of OAO Crimea, 10 % share of ZAO Ukrpyvo and 51 % share of the Union of Hop Growers and Brewers, Inrefax-Ukraine news agency informed.

Capacity of the Ukrainian beer market is estimated by specialists to be of 1500 million litres per year.

13 January, 2004