The results of the U.S. beer industry’s critical summer selling season are as follows: Bud Light Lime won, newly merged Coors and Miller cancelled each other out and Corona, once the winner, gave up the crown, AdAge published on September, 15.

Launched in May with a $35 mln national marketing push, the first-ever flavour extension of Bud Light achieved the million-barrel rate with little apparent damage to its sibling brands, providing Anheuser-Busch with a strongest summer in recent years. The nation’s number 1 brewer total sales rose nearly 2% year to date, scanner data from Information Resources Inc. suggest.

Previously, Anheuser – Busch managed to achieve significant market shares for newly launched beers mostly at the expense of its other brands, expert inform. This time the situation is different.

According to the company’s estimates, 50% of Lime drinkers either are new to beer or are buying it in addition to their existing beer habits, while another 20% of drinkers are coming from competitors such as Miller Chill and Corona. Only 30% of Lime drinkers switched from other brands in A-B's portfolio, which accounts for nearly 50% of the total U.S. beer business.

"It's A-B's best performance in years," said Benj Steinman, editor of Beer ...More Info

Beer imports to the Czech Republic grew by a quarter year-on-year to almost 0.18 mln hl in the first six months of the year, CTK cited data by the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) on September, 15.

Most imports came from Poland, followed by Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, just like last year, it was reported.

However, the share of imported beer on Czech consumption is still at a negligible level of around 2 percent, Jan Vesely from the Czech Beer and Malt Association, was quoted as saying.

This is due to the conservative nature of the Czech consumer who prefers domestic brands, Vesely said.

The leading position of Poland is not due to imports of Polish beer brands, but because of production of cheap beer Ambrosius for retail chain Kaufland. The Holba brewery has partly transferred production of the beer there, Vesely added.

Canned and bottled beer predominates over draught beer among imports to the Czech Republic. However, imports of draught beer registered the fastest year-on-year growth (82 percent).

According to CSU, beer exports rose by 7.8 percent to a record 1.92 million hectolitres in the first half of the year.

The production of the nation’s breweries amounted to 9.873 mln hl of beer in the last ...More Info

As Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) is expected to turn the first sod on Australia’s newest brewery on the NSW Central Coast in just two months, its entry in the local beer market underscores the enormous change sweeping through the sector, the Australian Business communicated on September, 12.

The nation’s once almighty brand Victoria Bitter, or VB, remains the clear number one beer but its market share has slipped from just under 30 per cent in 1999 to 19 per cent in 2007 and just over 17 per cent in July 2008, according to Nielsen figures.

While it remains unclear whether its demise will be as swift and complete as that of Foster's, Australia is unlikely to ever see such a dominant brand as VB again, experts believe.

The phenomenon of premiumization is taking hold, and low-carbohydrate beer headed by Pure Blonde and mid-strength brews led by XXXX Gold are continuing to eat away at the market share of the older-school mass-market monsters.

The local beer market some time ago turned into a cosy duopoly between Foster’s and Lion Nathan, but now CCA is trying to enter the competition.

According to experts, however, Coca-Cola's fitful boast that it wanted to be the number three beer maker and ...More Info

Japan’s breweries have entered a period of tough times for the country’s increasingly health-conscious youth cut back their drinking amid a gloomy economic outlook, Reuters posted on September, 14.

This year beer sales dropped by about 5 percent, and the nation’s changing habits forced brewers to develop cheap brews and imitation beers to keep their customers.

Not just beer consumption is suffering in world’s sixth-largest beer consuming country. Tax records show that alcohol intake in Japan had gradually declined to 9.4 million kilolitres in 2006 since peaking at 10.2 million kilolitres in 1999, a drop analysts pin to a variety factors such as the graying population and changing social norms.

The drop in consumption reflects a shift in consumer tastes to canned cocktails and less fattening drinks based on shochu, a distilled alcohol commonly made from barley, potatoes or rice.

Volume shipments of shochu drinks have surged 42 percent in the 10 years to 2006, even as beer shipments have fallen by more than 10 percent from a peak in 1994.

"Beer has been walloped by cheaper and perceivably healthier alcohol drinks," said Tokushi Yamasaki, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research. "Overall Japanese do not drink as much as they used to."

The ...More Info

As it has been already reported, drinks giant Diageo is holding talks with Vijay Mallya's United Breweries Group about buying a stake in its United Spirits business in India.

The UK-based company is likely to face stiff competition from Japan's Suntory Group, which is understood to be eyeing a 10%-15% stake in United Spirits for $600 mln (£335 mln), Scotland on Sunday reported on September, 14.

According to Indian sources, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and a Thai spirits company are also interested in the offer.

A formal bidding process is expected to commence shortly, it was reported.

United Spirits lays claim to a 55% share of India's spirits market, but analysts say Mallya is keen to take on a non-Indian partner as the sector expands. After a spate of acquisitions over the past three years, including Whyte & Mackay last year, and his decision to open Kingfisher Airlines in 2005, they suggest Mallya is also eager to raise cash.

But leading drinks analyst John Wakely said he could foresee a situation where several subsidiary companies are formed rather than the sale of a 10% or 15% stake.

He said: "The investment, when it comes, may take place in a whole lot of different forms. ...More Info

Turkey’s Efes Breweries International has decided to delay by six months a legal contract for the formation of a joint venture with Georgia beer producer Kazbegi, the head of the Georgian company, Gogi Topadze, was quoted as saying by Interfax on September, 10.

“We had an understanding at the end of August to sign the contract of the form of a JV to produce beer and non-alcoholic beverages, however, Efes representatives offered to postpone this owing to situation in Georgia,” Topadze said.

"The Turkish partners will probably follow how events develop in Georgia," he said.

According to Topadze, Kazbegi currently produces seven brands of beer and has an around 36% share of the Georgian beer market and 15% of the country's non-alcoholic beverage market.

Earlier, it was reported that Efes in February had purchased Lomisi, a leader on the Georgian beer market with a 42% share. In May, the company announced it would be expanding its business in Georgia and was starting up a partnership with Kazbegi. Later, it became known that both parties had plans to form a joint venture.

Romania’s beer consumption is expected to grow 20% by 2012, the Financiarul posted on September, 16. According to a study by market research company Euromonitor, it will reach 109.6 litres per capita, compared to 90 litres registered last year.

Vifor Versescu, head of the Employers’ Association of Independent Brewers, says the figure will be comparable with those in countries close to Romania, like Austrian and Hungary, where beer and wine are preferred.

According to Euromonitor International, beer in plastic bottles has supported the rapid growth in the beer market. The change in look and the launch of 2.5 litres bottles helped multinationals and local brewers diminish the seasonal character of beer. Beer in plastic bottles is not so much affected by weather changes; it is, as a general rule, drunk almost always at home.

Shachar Shaine, head of URBB, one of the main beer makers in the local market, says the growth pace of the beer market expected by all the big players for this year stands between 5 and 7%, with the beer market in Romania maturing in the past years. Elements such as the rise in the purchasing power of Romanians and the economic growth in the first half this year ...More Info

Winter barley production in 2008-09 is forecasted to reach around 7.8 million tonnes, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics published in its Australian crop report as of September, 16.

Although this is a significant increase from the 2007-08 production level, it is below initial estimates.

New South Wales

Winter barley production in New South Wales is forecast to increase to just more than 1.5 million tonnes in 2008-09, a significant increase from the 650 000 tonnes produced in the previous season, reflecting an improvement in yields (1.58 t/ha).

The area planted to barley in 2008-09 is estimated to have decreased by 3 per cent to 980,000 hectares.

Victoria

The barley acreage in Victoria is estimated to have increased by 3 per cent in 2008-09, to 950,000 hectares. Assuming an improvement in yields from last year’s drought affected crop, production is forecast to increase by 42 per cent to 1.6 million tonnes in 2008-09.

Queensland

Although the area planted to barley is estimated to have increased by 12 per cent in 2008-09, a decline in yields is likely to result in slightly lower barley production. Barley yields in Queensland are forecast at1.58 tonnes a hectare in 2008-09, compared with 1.80 tonnes a hectare in 2007-08. Total barley production ...More Info

Both feed and malting barley spot cash prices showed mixed trends during the first two weeks of September, Farm & Ranch Guide reported on September, 11.

As of September, 11, the barley harvest was nearing completion in North Dakota, and other areas of the state were soon to follow, Steve Edwardson, executive director of the N.D. Barley Council, informed.

Modest strength is exhibited by malt barley prices, whereas feed barley prices have softened since harvest, the expert said.

According to Edwardson, just 7 percent of the North Dakota crop remained unharvested as of September, 11.

The executive director provided the following summary for the 2008 crop:

Plantings Nationally, barley plantings increased by 2.7 percent to 4,130,000 acres in 2008, while in North Dakota the acreage increased by 2 percent to 1.5 million acres.

“In general, higher wheat prices stimulated a shift in acreage to more wheat production,” Edwardson said.

Production Yield for the 2008 crop in North Dakota is estimated at 50.0 bushels per acre as of Aug. 1, according to the USDA, with total production in the state estimated at 70,000,000 bushels from 1.4 million harvested acres. This compares to 77,840,000 bushels produced in the state in 2007, which Edwardson attributes to the drought conditions ...More Info

Like in the previous weeks, the EU’s feed barley market demonstrates more resistance to fall than that of wheat and maize, the French La Depeche published on September, 12.

Port activity still supports a more significant level of barley trading than that of other cereals. However, with forage producers showing more restraint, dealing in the sphere of feed barley slackened.

It is still very calm on the market of malting barley, it is reported. The rhythm of trades is very low. According to experts, market prices for malting barley again give up their ground relative to the last week’s rate.

The latest mid-month pool return outlook for 2008-09 malting barley issued by the Canadian Wheat Board has not changed from the August outlook, the CWB official site informed on September, 11.

The Board posted a new mid-month PRO of C$348 per tonne for Select Canada Western (CW) two-row designated barley, and C$328 per tonne for Select CW six-row. That's unchanged from the board's Aug. 28 PRO.

International malting barley prices have dropped in line with general pressure on commodity prices during the past two weeks that has weakened the price outlook for malting barley sales, the CWB said.

Offsetting that pressure, however, is the combination of "good value sales already in the pool," as well as some weakening in the Canadian dollar and decreases in ocean freight rates.

Among other factors, supply concerns continue in Australia as rains continue to miss the country's main barley-growing areas, the CWB said.

What's more, the board said in its mid-month PRO, the progress of the Canadian harvest has been slow and there remains "considerable uncertainty" around the quality and selection rates of the crop.

"Weather conditions over the next two weeks will be critical in determining the quality of the malting barley crop in Western ...More Info

At the beginning of the month, the Netherlands reported disappointing results from the North of the country, imports needs were estimated at 300,000 tons.

Poland had reasonably good winter barley and spring barley from the south, but a real crop failure in the north of the country. Experts believe the total barley crop may only be 3 mln tons vs. 4 mln last year, and Poland must probably import 250 - 300,000 tons malting barley against its total demand of 400,000 tons. Experts reported that the Czech Republic harvested an excellent crop of malting barley, both good yields and qualities with low proteins. As prices of the local industries’ pre-contracts were far above present market values, execution of local business comes first, albeit with difficulties, and export business started slowly. Export possibilities are estimated to be 2-300,000 tons.

Idaho is one of the few states that produce hops, the Idaho Statesman published on September, 15. But for the first time in more than a decade, new hop trellises were built in the region this spring and hop acreage statewide was increased by about 30 per cent – from 2,996 acres in 2007 to 3,885 in 2008, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

Meanwhile, farmers in Washington, the largest hop producing state, added an estimated 8,000 new acres of hop fields this year to take advantage of higher prices.

The industry was hit by the crisis in 2006, when worldwide hop production reached a historic low of about 113,000 acres. The major hop shortage of 2007 was the result of a series of events including bad weather in Europe, a fire at a large hop warehouse in Washington state, an increased demand in Europe and emerging markets like China, experts say,

Hops that had been selling for about $6 a pound now cost $20 or more for brewers who haven't contracted for a lower set price.

Since 2006, about 20,000 new acres of hop varieties have been planted worldwide, but prices remain high, said Ralph Olson, owner of Hop Union, a ...More Info

Birthe Møller, Jose Luis Molina-Cano and Lars Munck

Abstract

J. Inst. Brew. 108(3), 294–302, 2002 In earlier studies concerning vigour, where subsamples are heattreated before germination there was found heat-sensitive as well as heat-resistant barley samples. The vigour model developed by Ellis and Roberts and further developed at Carlsberg, could only describe the heat-sensitive barleys. Seventeen samples of the “Alexis” variety grown widely in Europe were collected from the EBC trials in 1994 in order to see if heat resistance in barley was influenced by different growing conditions. We found both heat-sensitive samples following the vigour model as well as pronounced heat-resistant samples, but these were not divided according to growing conditions. The germination curves dependent on heat treatment and germination time were evaluated by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Heat-resistant barley samples could be differentiated from heat-sensitive samples already after ½ h of heat treatment at 68°C (12% moisture) and after 3 days of germination. The barley samples were analysed with regard to malting quality. The PCA evaluation of the data divided the samples according to growing location, mainly due to differences in protein and
-glucan. However, the malting analyses could not describe the differences in heat resistance and sensitivity of the barleys. The biochemical background of the heat resistance found is discussed on the basis of literature. Our findings should give an experimental basis for exploiting a biochemical principle for heat resistance, which is formed during grain filling and consumed during storage and germination. Key words: Heat resistance, malting barley quality, principal component analysis, vigour. Load full article, 9 pages, 278 Kb, PDF file