The European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU) criticised the Czech government's plan to sell its stake in brewery Budejovicky Budvar, CTK reported May 27. EBCU Vice-President Laurent Mousson told reporters the privatisation may harm the quality of Budvar beer.

The EBCU is afraid the Czech brewery would get to the hands of US group Anheuser Busch, Budvar's rival in several trademark lawsuits worldwide. Mousson added the Czech state had no reason to get rid of the prosperous brewery.

Budejovicky Budvar is the third largest Czech brewery and a foremost beer exporter, as well as the last state-owned brewery in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Agriculture Ministry has recently started to look for an adviser who would help transform the brewery into a joint-stock company, a move that is generally perceived as the first step towards privatisation.

The EBCU has more than 110,000 members in 13 countries. The Czech association of beer lovers, Sdruzeni pratel piva, with more than 1,000 members became an EBCU member today.

BBH’s 2007 total investment is estimated at 100 mil Euros, Anton Shetkin, group’s vice-president said, according to Russian Beer Union, May 28. The core investment will be directed for the increase and modernisation of the production capacity, for the purchase of new sale equipment and for marketing.

Shetkin also said that BBH’s market share in Ukraine started to grow. “We are already growing. For the first time in three years we increase our market share with 0.4 %”.

“Our three years goal is to fight for 2nd TOP position. Now we are on 3rd. Our market share constitutes 17-19%”.

BBH’s market share on premium segment is 50%, according to Shetkin.

About Baltic Beverages Holding

Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH) is a joint venture between Carlsberg and Scottish&Newcastle. In Ukraine the company is the owner of “Slavutici Brewery”, “Livov Brewery” and “Kiev Beer Factory”.

Russian Malt, a part of Avangard Bank Group attracted a syndicated credit in the amount of 24 mil euros, according to a company announcement, AK&M reported May 28.

The money is given by Nordkap Bank AG, Credit Suisse and Bayerische Landesbank with 5 years maturity.

So the company has fully provided its middle- and long-term liabilities for the foreign money, said in the announcement.

Avangard Bank was founded in 1994. It is controlled by Kirill Minovalov. Bank's authorized capital stock is 560 mil rub. Its balance sheet profit rose by 2.4% to 707 mil rub in 2006 from 690 mil rub in 2005. Avangard Bank's net profit under IFRS increased 1.23 times to 1.027 bln rub in 2006 in relation to 830 mil rub in 2005.

After an increasing trend from 1990’s, barley malt trade has slowed down during the last 3 years, International Grains Council reported May 28. This situation is manly due to the decreasing demand from mature markets and to the growing malting capacity of main importer countries.

Brazil imports are estimated at 970,000 t, slightly higher than in 2005/2006 contrary of those of Japan – steady at 640,000 t and Russia’s – down at 250,000.

Canada exports are estimated under 700,000 t of 2005/2006 due to domestic shortage while Australia’s will increase to 680,000 t.