Beer sales in Russia increased 7.5 percent by volume in November year-on-year, Danish brewer Carlsberg's main owner Orkla said on January 2. In the January-November period, 2002 Russian beer sales rose 9.2 percent compared to the same period of 2001 year, an Orkla spokesman told according to Reuters.

"The beer market is not as strong as it was," said Orkla's investor spokesman Rune Helland. "But Russia has an annual consumption per person of 40 litres. If that is to come up to the 60-70 litres that Europeans drink every year, there is still a substantial growth potential in the market."

Carlsberg, which sees Russia as its major future growth driver, said in mid-November Russian market growth dropped to four percent in the third quarter from 16 percent in the first six months of 2002 and that it expected lower full-year growth. Carlsberg also lowered its growth expectations for 2003, saying it saw the Russian beer market growing 7-12 percent compared to an earlier expected 14-15 percent.

Carlsberg operates in Russia through Baltic Beverage Holding (BBH), which it owns jointly with Scottish & Newcastle.

10 January, 2003