The Efes Beer Group, received a $43 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), The New Anatolian published July 3.

According to a press release issued by the company, Efes Beer group will expand its Operations in Kazakhstan thanks to the credit. The group aims to increase the capacity of the Efes Karaganda Beer Factory and improve the distribution network.

Efes Beer Group, operates two factories in Kazakhstan and has a market share of 20 percent with a yearly production of 210 million litres. It employs over 7 thousand workers.

Brewery Quinsa, the subsidiary of Brazilian group AmBev, will invest $100 mil to expand its business in Argentina, Terra Actualidad reported July 5.

The investment is a record in the 100 years history of Quilmes, according to company’s president, Joao Castro Neves, who characterised the economic situation in Argentina in 2008 as good.

“We are doing well because the country is doing well”, Castro Neves commented, remarking that the business expansion of Quilmes “proves the AmBev’s confidence” in Argentina’s economic development.

Quilmes was founded at the end of XIX century by Otto Bemberg whose descendants sold it to AmBev in 2002. It is the leader in beer production in Argentina with strong presence in Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia.

AmBev, the owner of Quinsa, is a member of group InBev, the biggest beer producer in the world and sales leader in America, Europe and Asia.

Beer prices have risen 3 percent in the past year and could go even higher next year, United Press International reported July 5.

The price of barley, which has jumped 48 percent in the last 11 months, is expected to impact beer prices, The Denver Post reported. Barley prices were driven up when many barley farmers switched to corn crops to feed the growing biofuel market.

"We're definitely concerned. We don't want to be in a position where to remain profitable we price our beer out of some consumers. We want to be able to keep our beer affordable," said Doug Odell, founder and brewmaster at Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colo., told the Post.

Beer sales total $189.3 billion annually, the Beer Institute reported.

The Brewers Association’s mixed container export concept took off in China, according to Brewers Association, July 5. In February of 2007 the first ever container of US Craft Beer was exported and since the first shipment the Chinese have liked what they’re drinking.

This inaugural ‘mixed container’ had craft beers from Brooklyn Brewery (New York), North Coast Brewing Company (California), and Rogue Ales (Oregon). These beers are now available in eight on-premise establishments in Shanghai with further distribution anticipated.

Bob Pease, Brewers Association Vice President says, “This first container sale marked the success of the Brewers Association mixed container export concept and it marked the opening of a vast new market for US craft beers. The immediate reaction in-country surpassed expectations.”

Due to the success of this first shipment, in May of 2007 additional shipments were ordered including

The world’s beer output was 1.68 billion hl in 2006, according to the figures of Plato’s report. China’s beer sales of 351 million hl are covered in full by the country’s local malt production of 4 million tonnes. The rest of the world produced 1.33 billion hl and may brew 1.37 billion hl this year.

As per Plato 11.9 kg of malt are used per hl of beer that is 16.3 million tonnes total (excl. China). The malting capacities outside China are 15.7 million tonnes. Malt is also needed for whisky and food additives that is about 0.8 million tonnes. Therefore a lower malt use than 11.9 kg/hl is mandatory, and it looks as if malt will be in very short supply in the years to come.

EU malt supplies in 2009 will be at least 300,000 tonnes larger than at this time, analysts have recently commented. “But there may be further constructions, closures and different demand figures by then.

Certain trends are obvious: New or expanded malting factories should be placed in good barley areas, along inland waterways or at the seaboard. In view of the growing demand for all grains the safety of malting barley supplies will be of prime importance.

As the list of new constructions shows, large, financially powerful companies grow faster than the rest of the industry and will become more dominant in the malt trade.”

The North American (NAFTA) malt situation is very similar to that in the EU, analysts said. Malting capacity in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico totals 3.650 million tonnes, beer output in 2006 was 340 million hl.

There was a theoretical malt export surplus of 250,000 tonnes, real malt exports were about 500,000 tonnes to countries outside NAFTA. Stocks have dropped down to very low levels, while a one-month inventory in malthouses was normal in past years.

The South Australian Farmers Federation (SAFF) will recommend that farmers reject a proposal from the barley marketer to hand over their shares, according to ABC News, July 6.

ABB Grain wants to remove its dual class share structure now that the barley market is being deregulated. The company is asking growers to hand over their A-class shares.

Company chairman Perry Gunner argues they have no intrinsic value. But SAFF grains council deputy chairman James Rackham says the shares do have value.

"Control value, I mean you can't always measure value in terms of money," he said.

"There's great control value there because if growers don't like the majority of directors they can fire them.

"So anybody who says they have no value is dreaming. In a $1 billion company to control over half the board is a form of great power."

ABB Grain has silos throughout SA and some in Victoria.