Germany's breweries again sold less beer last year as people continue to turn to low-alcohol alternatives, the government said on January 30. Beer sales fell about 0.5 percent in 2005 to 105.3 million hectorliters, the Federal Statistics Office. However, sales of beer mixed with things such as lemonade and cola jumped 15 percent to 300 million liters, or some 3 percent of the total, according to Associated Press.

Experts say a more health-aware public, high joblessness and a sluggish economy account for years of declining beer sales. Germans have lost the title of biggest per capita beer drinkers to the Czechs.

Though Germany still has hundreds of breweries, changing tastes have put many small beer makers out of business.

This trend follows that of previous years. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office, the beer producing and storing establishments in Germany sold less from year to year: 105.3 million hectolitres of beer in 2005, 105.9 in 2004, 107.8 in 2002, 109.8 in 2000 and 112.7 in 1997.

In 2005 Russian brewers produced 89.2 million hl of beer, an increase by 6.5% compared to 2004. In 2004 Russian beer output was of 84.2 million hl with a dynamics of 11.5%, Russian Beer Union posted on January 30.

Vyacheslav Mamontov, the head of the Russian Beer Union, said the beer market was deeply influenced by the restrictions on beer advertisements. As a result in 2005 beer companies spent on advertisements US$ 40 mln instead of US$ 60 million.

Analysts of Russian Beer Union forecast an increase by 5-6% per year in the next 5 years when beer production capacities could increase by 15-20 million hl. The next increase will be based on regional development of distribution.

Northwest hop growers celebrated 50 years of collaboration beginning on January 25 with the theme "Golden Hop Celebration" and a look forward, discussing technology that will make the industry more efficient in the face of rising costs, Yakima Herald-Republic communicated on January 25.

About 150 growers attended the three-day golden anniversary affair at the Yakima Convention Center, said Steve George, administrator of the Hop Growers of Washington.

This year's convention is larger, he said, because hop growers from Washington, Oregon and Idaho met jointly, something they do every few years. Yakima is a logical meeting site because the Yakima Valley produces 75 % of the nation's hops, and is second only to Germany in worldwide production. Yakima is also the headquarters for the Hop Growers of Washington, the Hop Growers of America and the Washington Hop Commission.

On January 25 general session got under way at 9 a.m. in the south ballroom with a review of new technology, including a mechanical harvester called the "Perrault Harvester," an automated twining system, a growing system that utilizes lower trellises, and a hop vine-composting project. Thursday's meeting featured a report by the Washington State Department of Agriculture on a surface water monitoring project.