The third largest Russian brewer, Ochakovo, is planning to purchase the Slutsk brewery in Minsk, Belarus, by investing up to US$30 million in upgrading the facility. Ochakovo intends to boost the production capacity of the brewery from 1.5 million dekalitres to 5 million dekalitres per year and begin producing wine and high-quality malt, a source at the Slutsk said on January 09. According to the same source Ochakovo is expected to take control of the Slutsk brewery, which is currently unprofitable.

13 January, 2003