Czech Republic: Half of Czechs does not drink beer at all or only once a month

Two in five Czechs are regular beer drinkers, while more than half of the Czech population does not drink beer at all or only once a month, a poll by GfK for the MARK/BBDO advertising agency has shown, The Prague Daily Monitor posted June 21.

The agency has named each category to identify typical beer drinkers.

Occasional drinkers who taste beer once a month on average made up 29 percent of the sample. Three-quarters of them were women.

Some 11 percent of respondents were regular drinkers for whom beer "is the axis of life", said Mila Knepr from MARK/BBDO. More than half of them, mostly old men, drink beer every day.

Younger men, on the other hand, fitted the category of "pals", making up 9 percent of the population. "Pals" drink every third day and almost always with friends and not at home.

Another category, lacking a favourite brand, made up 8 percent. These were older men who usually drink at home, and typically once every three days.

"Loyal home drinkers" made up 10 percent. Knepr said they drank bottled beer every other day, and usually preferred one brand. On average, these drinkers, mostly men, are 56 years old.

So-called "sportsmen" had the biggest purchasing power, because ... More Info

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Belgium: Beer production reached 17.2 million hl in 2005

he Federation of Belgian brewers has published the 2005 records of the Belgium beer sector at its annual general meeting. According to its figures, 2005 beer production presents a Status quo in comparison to 2004, with a production of 17.2 million hl of beer (+0.02%). The domestic beer consumption has slightly diminished (0.93% less than in 2004) while exports increased by 1.32%. It means that nearly 50% of Belgium beer is exported.

According to the Federation report, Belgium brewers expressed the willingness to increase domestic beer consumption in order to allow to the brewing sector to maintain its economic importance because it directly and indirectly generates many workplaces.

Exports continue to grow

The wide range of Belgian beers is becoming more and more popular among overseas countries: Belgium neighbours accentuate the need for Belgian beer while one observes a strong progression of beer supplies to USA and Canada. Statistics say 8.8 million hl of beer were exported in 2005, meaning a 1.32% year-on-year increase. Thus, 51% of the Belgium beer is presently drunk overseas.

Domestic beer drinking is slowing down

In 2005, the reduction of domestic beer consumption seemed less important than it did in the past 5 years, despite a recession of 0.93%, ... More Info

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Thailand: Tax revenue from alcohol sales rose 4% during the first 10 days of the FIFA World Cup

Tax revenue from alcohol sales over the first 10 days of the World Cup tournament rose 4% from the year before, according to the Excise Department, Bangkok Post released June 21.

Utid Tamwatin, the department's director-general, said tax collections on beer and other alcohol had been in decline during the first few months of the year. The rise was clearly due to the high interest in the football competition, he said.

''But the fact remains that while taxes have risen over the past two weeks, it won't have a major impact on tax revenue this year, since the tournament lasts for just one month,'' Mr Utid said.

The Excise Department estimated that its revenue this year would fall short of the original target of THB312.5 billion, by THB32 billion, or around 10%.

Declining tax revenue was blamed on lower cigarette and alcohol sales thanks to government anti-smoking and anti-drinking campaigns.

The Customs Department has also indicated that its tax revenue would fall short of the 120.4-billion-baht target by around nine billion baht, as tariff rates dropped under trade liberalisation policies.

For the first eight months of the fiscal year from October 2005 to May 2006, net revenue stood at THB918.5 billion, 0.7% above the target and ... More Info

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China: Japanese breweries to catch up with Anheuser-Busch, InBev, and SABMiller on the Chinese market

Having reached a sales ceiling in their own country, Japanese brewers such as Kirin, Suntory, and Asahi are raising a mug to a thirsty mainland market, The BusinessWeek posed June 20.

With beer sales losing fizz at home, Japan's brewers have tried ineffectually in recent years to reignite sales. Relentless TV advertising hasn't done the trick nor, on the whole, has the introduction of new hybrid drinks, such as cheaper low- or no-malt varieties of beer. And the sales stall looks likely to continue. Nikko Citigroup reckons total beer sales will dip 2.8% from current levels by 2008.

Small wonder then that like so many other consumer product segments, Japanese brewers are looking to China as their salvation. The beer market is booming on the mainland. And Suntory, Asahi Breweries, and Kirin Brewery (KNBWY)—three of Japan's biggest brewers—are all placing major bets in an effort to catch up with international beer giants such as Anheuser-Busch (BUD), InBev, and SABMiller.

Demand for beer in China has never been stronger. Last year, brewers made 30 million kiloliters of beer in China, an increase of 5% over the year-earlier period. That is more than any other country including the U.S., which China toppled as ... More Info

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Ukraine: SUN Interbrew, Obolon, BBH Ukraine and Sarmat to fight for market share

The Ukrainian beer industry continues to be dominated by four producers that control 95 percent of the market, but competition between them is expected to be ferocious in the upcoming year, the Kyiv Post informed June 22.

Ukraine’s four largest beer companies – SUN Interbrew, Obolon, Baltic Beverages Holding Ukraine (BBH Ukraine), and Sarmat – have infused massive investments into aggressive advertising campaigns and product development, are expanding their already sizeable brand portfolios, and upping distribution to ensure that their products are available at as many points of sale as possible – ideally in kiosks and stores in every small town and village in the country, where newer brands are still largely unavailable.

All four beer producers have increased their market share over the last couple of years, partly by squeezing out small local breweries, such as the Gambrinus brewery in Odessa, which closed last year.

Currently, the market share of small breweries is estimated to be around 4-5 percent, although Dragon Capital’s June 14 market report showed that it has further declined by 1.1 percentage points year-on-year and currently stands at just 3.5 percent in May 2006.

However, Ukraine’s customer base is still not growing fast enough to absorb this heated competition on ... More Info

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UK: New UK appointment at Muntons Malted Ingredients

Muntons plc announced that Mrs Yolanda Franklin has joined the Muntons team as from the 5th June 2006 as their UK Food Sales Manager. Yolanda brings with her eleven years of UK food sector experience with McCain's and most recently two years employment with another UK based food ingredient supplier.

Andrew Suett Sales and Marketing Director of Muntons plc said: "We are extremely pleased to have Yolanda joining our team, she brings with her a wealth of experience and tremendous enthusiasm." He continued "This new appointment is an important part of our campaign to bring our ranges of malted ingredients to the attention of the modern Baker and Food manufacturer"

Yolanda echoed these sentiments "I'm really looking forward to this exciting new challenge. Muntons have an excellent range of malted ingredients, particularly relevant for today's health conscious consumer." She added: "This makes Muntons an ideal supplier for the modern food producer looking to offer products that can be clearly differentiated."

"Muntons offer the widest range of malted ingredients in Europe. And it's this exceptional range of products for the discerning palate that makes Muntons such a leading edge supplier" Ventured Yolanda "I'm relishing this opportunity of working for such a ... More Info

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Australia: Barley production for 2006-07 is forecast by ABARE to fall by 14%

Barley is forecast by Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) to have reduced plantings and yields, with production forecast to be 8.5 million tonnes in 2006-2007, a 14% fall year-on-year under the June Australian Crop Report.

NEW SOUTH WALES
The area planted to barley in 2006-07 is estimated to fall by 4 per cent to 975 000 hectares, refl ecting the poor start to the season. Barley production is forecast to be just under 2 million tonnes, a 13 per cent reduction when compared with 2005- 06, reflecting the reduced area and average yields.

VICTORIA
The area planted to barley in Victoria in 2006-07 is forecast to decline by 3 per cent to 905 000 hectares. Production is forecast to fall to 1.8 million tonnes a 12 per cent decline on the previous season, reflecting the reduced area sown and lower yields than last year.

QUEENSLAND
The area planted to barley is forecast to fall by 24 per cent to 118 000 hectares in 2006 07, primarily reflecting expected lower sowings in the Darling Downs, one of the state’s major barley growing regions.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Western Australian barley area is forecast to be 1.1 million hectares, 230 000 hectares lower than in the ... More Info

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USA: Hopunion Craft Brewing Sales LLC to officially merge August 01 with Yakima Chief Inc.

Specialty hops supplier Hopunion Craft Brewing Sales, LLC, has released the merger with Yakima Chief, Inc.'s craft brewing division.

Even if companies are formally to unite August the first, it is already known that the name of the emerging company is Hopunion LLC.

"We believe this merger will help provide more selection of hop varieties as well as better stability in the supply and demand chain," co-owner and general manager of Hopunion Craft Brewing Sales, LLC, Ralph Olson, said. "Our ability to take care of the needs and desires of the customer will be greatly enhanced," he continued.

Olson has commented that the merger will entail the Hopunion LLC to obtain improved production efficiencies and to enlarge production volumes.

Ralph Woodall, Jim Boyd and David Edgar with an aggregate 60 years experience in hop industry will join Olson in the new company. Support staffs from Yakima Chief, Inc. and Hopunion Craft Brewing Sales, LLC will be located at the Hopunion Craft Brewing Sales, LLC office in Yakima. Several Northwest premier aroma hops growers are also included in the ownership of Hopunion LLC.

Commenting the merger, Olson said: "We will now be able to provide greater coverage in North America for the craft brewing industry ... More Info

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World: June 2006 Hop Report by Douglas MacKinnon

It is too early to make predictions regarding the hop crop for 2006 other than to say that supply will be tight at best in some varieties. The hop crop in both the U.S. and Germany got off to a late start due to a colder than normal spring. Hops love the heat however and that late spring in the U.S. was followed by some above average temperature causing hop growth to be ahead of schedule at the time of this writing. German hops remain roughly one week behind schedule, but, as we have seen in the U.S., that can quickly change with several days of warm weather. The weather in August typically determines the hop crop in Germany. A hot August with little or no rain can send German yields plummeting as they did in 2003. Conversely, as was the case in 2004 and 2005, a warm and wet August can deliver excellent hops and alpha acid. The biggest problem at this time is hop powdery mildew, which although potentially devastating to a hop crop can be managed with pesticides.

The most recent news out of the U.S. is the acreage data listed in the following table. With acreage figures being the main newsworthy event, this appears to be a calm year in the hop world. One significant difference between 2006 in the U.S. and previous years is the fact that nearly all American hops are sold. Supply will be tight even if the crop produces average yields. If yields are low, there may be some shortages. Quite a few European hop varieties however are still available. One reason for the inequity between American and European hop sales is, of course, the weak dollar, which has made American hops relatively inexpensive on the world market. There has been little market activity recently although quite a few inquiries. What activity there has been confirms that prices for hops in general are on the rise with some hops already being impossible to obtain.

In short, there are many things that can happen to a hop crop between June and September, which is why most growers don’t feel safe estimating their crop until it is in the bale.

Douglas MacKinnon, former director of Hop Growers of America is chairman of the International Hop Growers Convention executive committee. He publishes the MacKinnon Report, a subscription newsletter that reports developments and market activity within the hop industry.

Comments are welcome via email at doug@mackinnonreport.com.

Related table:
"Hops: Area Harvested by Variety, State, and United States, 2004-2005 and Forecasted June 1, 2006" 10 kb, 1page, *.pdf file

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Abstract:
J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 63(2):63-68, 2005
A trifactorial experiment with a level of confidence of P < 0.05 was performed to study worts and lagers produced with barley or sorghum malts, refined maize (MZ), or waxy sorghum (WXSOR) grits treated during mashing with or without amyloglucosidase (AMG). Worts were produced from the different malts, type of adjunct, and enzyme treatment combinations following a double-mashing procedure. The diastatic activity levels of the barley and sorghum malts were 119 and 20°Lintner, respectively. The barley malt produced 35% more 12°Plato (°P) wort with higher amounts of free amino nitrogen and total fermentable carbohydrates compared with counterparts produced from sorghum malt. The barley malt wort contained higher amounts of maltose but lower amounts of glucose compared with the sorghum malt wort. The WXSOR grits produced worts with similar yield and properties as did the worts produced from MZ grits. AMG addition led to a 3% increment on wort yield and increased glucose from 9.3 to 21.5 g/L of wort and total fermentable sugar equivalents from 59.2 to 72.6 g/L of wort. After 144 hr of fermentation, lagers from barley malt and treated with AMG contained 1.0 and 0.25% units higher ethanol than did the counterparts produced from sorghum malt and without AMG. For AMG treated beers, nonsignificant differences in ethanol content were observed between samples mashed with barley malt and beers produced from sorghum malt and MZ grits. Results demonstrated that AMG could be used to increase the initial amount of fermentable sugars especially in sorghum mashes. Keyword: Sorghum beer
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