Hong Kong lawmakers threatened Friday to stage a revolt to stop a reduction in the duty on beer after hearing that not all of the price cut was not being passed on to drinkers, Jurnalo published May 25.

Beer duty in the city of 6.9 million was cut from 40 to 20 per cent in Financial Secretary Henry Tang's March budget, which became immediately effective but must be approved by legislators.

However, at a meeting Friday, the Hong Kong Beer Coalition, which represents suppliers, admitted prices in bars and shops had been cut by only around half the maximum possible amount.

Legislator Tommy Cheung urged the government to persuade beer companies to cut prices further and said a number of lawmakers would otherwise reverse the duty reduction by voting down the budget.

Hong Kong is already one of the world's most expensive places for drinkers with bar prices for a small bottle of beer ranging from 2.5 to 5.75 US dollars.

The State Duma backed a ban on drinking beer in public, the latest in series of legislative measures aimed at regulating health and public behavior, The Associated Press reported May 24.

The bill passed by a vote of 377-0 in a first reading. The measure would prohibit beer drinking in streets, parks and public squares for both adults and minors. Only licensed restaurants and cafes would be allowed to serve beer and alcohol in open-air settings.

The bill, which must still go through two more readings, would impose fines of up to 300 rubles ($12) on violators. Drinking vodka and other hard alcohol beverages in public is already banned, though the restriction is rarely enforced.

Mexican brewer Modelo, maker of the Corona brand, said on Wednesday it reached a deal to import and distribute Carlsberg, Reuters reported May 23.

Modelo said the exclusive five-year agreement with Danish Carlsberg, the world's sixth-biggest beer brewer, would begin in the second half of 2007.

"It is an excellent opportunity to broaden our portfolio of imported brands with a really classy European beer and at the same time to strengthen our leadership in this segment," said Modelo's Chairman Carlos Fernandez.

Imported beer volumes have grown rapidly in recent years in Mexico, where two companies, Modelo and rival Femsa, dominate domestic brewing.

Modelo is half owned by U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc.

Opinions differ about the extent of damage already done. Trying a consensus of opinions, it is believed that lower yields and the risk of high proteins exist in large areas of the EU, and in some parts, where barley seeds did not emerge yet, in the Czech Republic, in Slovakia, even in eastern France, total losses could occur.

One must look also at the other grains: winter wheat and barley have suffered from the dry conditions even more than spring grains, the overall grain supply of the EU could turn out precariously low.

One funny looking, but serious news comes from Denmark, where the spring barley acreage is much lower than a year ago: the pig population is up from 12,7 to 13,8 Million in one year’s time. Pigs constitute the main competition to maltsters for barley deliveries.