Mexico’s brewer Grupo Modelo announced in its third quarter results on October, 27.

The company said its third quarter net profit rose just by 0.3 percent (to 2.225 billion pesos ($203 million) compared to 2.219 billion pesos in the year-ago period), as more revenue from stronger exports was offset by higher costs.

During the third quarter, total domestic volume reached 8.8 million hectolitres, which represents an increase of 0.5% compared with the same period of the prior year. Volume in domestic brands remained stable compared with the third quarter of 2007 despite the slowdown in consumption in Mexico, strong rains and the price increase implemented during the period.

Likewise, the imported brand portfolio continued to grow at double-digit rates, registering an increase of 27.2% during the quarter.

Export volume increased 1.8% with respect to the same period of 2007. In the United States, despite the economic slowdown in the country, volumes showed a low single-digit increase. It is worth noting the successful development of Negra Modelo and Modelo Especial in draft in the states where it has been tested; as such, the company will keep pushing the expansion of this presentation as market conditions allow. Other markets such as Asia, Latin America and ...More Info

United Breweries, India's largest brewing company under the UB Group, has reported that its net profit has halved during the second quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 5.16 crore as against Rs 10.5 crore for the corresponding period of last year, Business Standard published on October, 24.

The company's net sales rose to Rs 361.12 crore for the quarter under review, from Rs 280.65 crore in the same period a year ago, United Breweries informed.

For the six-month ended September 30, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 27.77 crore, against Rs 42.21 crore in the same quarter corresponding year.

United Breweries has declared an interim dividend of 15 per cent on the enhanced capital on September 10, amounting Rs 4.21 crore and the same has been paid.

The company attributed the fall in net profit to the fact that its sales promotions and advertising spends has shot up by 27 per cent during the first six months of the fiscal as it tries to hold on to its close to 40 per cent share in the Indian beer market.

Its main competitor SAB Miller is closing this gap with various of its brands and has around 35 per cent ...More Info

On July 23, 2008, Carlsberg announced it had sold its 95.6 stake in Türk Tuborg Bira ve Malt Sanayi A.S. to CBC Group. The transfer of shares to the buyer has now been completed, the Danish brewer reported on its official website on October, 23.

The parties have agreed an Enterprise Value of USD 80 mln for the company. Adjusted for net interest bearing debt and working capital taken over by CBC Group, Carlsberg receives net proceeds of USD 44.5 mln, the company reported.

The financial loss on sale, recognised as special items in the income statement, is expected to be approximately DKK 230 mln. The financial loss is higher than previously expected primarily due to movements in working capital and profit and loss up to closing of the deal and special items in Türk Tuborg in September.

Türk Tuborg was established in 1967 through a partnership between Tuborg and Yasar Holding. Production started in 1969 with the first locally produced Tuborg brand. Carlsberg took over the majority shareholding of Türk Tuborg in 2001. Türk Tuborg is number two in the Turkish market.

As part of the deal between Carlsberg and CBC Group Türk Tuborg will, on license basis, continue the production ...More Info

China’s Yanjing Brewery made public its unaudited results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 in a statement to the Shenzhen stock exchange on October, 24.

According to the brewer, its Q3 turnover amounted to 2,820.83 mln yuan, as compared to 2,609.53 mln yuan in the same period of 2007.

The net profit constituted 193.03 mln yuan (192.71 in Q3 2007), the company announced.

Earnings per share made 0.1754 yuan versus 0.1752 yuan last year.

The company said beer consumption in the Beijing area was affected by restrictions on travel surrounding the Summer Olympic Games.

UK’s pubs reported lowest in a decade beer sales for the third quarter of 2008, Reuters cited data provided by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) on October, 27.

UK beer sales fell 7.2 percent in the third quarter of 2008, following last quarter's 4.5-percent drop, BBPA said in its Quarterly Beer Barometer report.

In total, 161 million fewer pints were sold in July to September this year compared to the same period in 2007 - a fall of 1.8 million pints a day and the largest third-quarter fall for a decade.

Hit by a nationwide smoking ban and competition from supermarkets, beer sales in pubs, bars and restaurants were down 8.1 percent in the third quarter. Sales in supermarkets and off-licences fell 6 percent in the third quarter compared to last year, proving that drinkers are shunning the idea of enjoying a beer at home as well as in the pub.

The new figures highlight the impact the economic downturn and weaker consumer confidence is having on British households, says BBPA Chief Executive Rob Hayward.

"The accelerating decline in beer sales is a clear sign of a worsening economy, worried households and weakening spending.

The downturn has now broadened to affect sales through both ...More Info

Baltika Breweries has begun shipping its beers to Central America, the Russian brewer announced on October, 27.

The company said it is developing business in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The first shipment came to 10,500 litres and included such brands as Baltika № 5 Golden and Baltika № 7 Export beer in 0.5 litre bottles.

At the moment, Baltika is the only Russian beer producer whose product is available in Central America.

Unlike Russia, the season for beer consumption in Central America begins in November. This is due to the climatic peculiarities of the region. It is precisely during this period of heightened demand that importers try to present new products to beer professionals and enthusiasts alike, the brewer posted.

Baltika’s main competitors in Guatemala are the popular local brands — Gallo, Dorada Draft, Monte Carlo, Negro Modelo and Cabro. The Baltika varieties will be sold in retail stores and in supermarkets, including Cosco and Walmart. Beginning in 2009, there are plans to widen the assortment by adding Baltika № 3 Classic.

Elena Volgusheva, Sales Manager for the countries of North and South America at Baltika Breweries explained: ’The beer market of the countries of Central America is highly concentrated in a few ...More Info

Both feed and malting barley prices have fallen dramatically during the past two weeks, Farm & Ranch Guide communicated on October, 24.

According to industry participants, feed barley prices declined by as much as 60 cents a bushel and malting prices were off by the same margin, or even more.

Within the past few weeks several things have changed and we now find ourselves in a most domestic market again, according to Valley Grain Service's Randy Brag.

“We have a crop around the world, the U.S. dollar has improved in value, credit is tight around the world and our exports are down, so we are back to a domestic market,” he said. “And a nearby problem on the domestic side is a lot of the companies took barley out of their ration because of the high price of it and it's going to take a little work to bring barley back in at these lower levels. It's going to take a little time.

“I've often said the way to cure high prices is with high prices, people just quit using it and find something else to use. We're starting to fall back to a level where the grain prices normally are,” he continued. “Things ...More Info

Canadian Wheat Board released its October Pool Return Outlook (PRO) for the 2008 – 2009 crop year on October, 23.

Feed barley values declined by C$5 and designated barley values remained unchanged from the mid-October PRO, the Board reported.

The PROs were supported by the decline in the Canadian dollar and a dramatic drop in ocean freight rates. The Canadian dollar is now at its lowest level in four years and ocean freights are now approaching six year lows, according to experts.

Thus, the October 2008-09 PROs for No. 1 CW Pool A feed barley are down C$5 per tonne from the Oct. 9 PRO, to C$193 per tonne.

Designated barley values, meanwhile, remain unchanged from Oct. 9 at C$327 and C$307 per tonne for Select CW two-row and six-row, respectively.

CWB commentary

Feed barley

Feed barley prices in North America dropped during the past month due to the ongoing barley harvest in Canada and the United States. Corn futures values have dropped by over 30 per cent during the last month and 10 percent since the October 9 mid-month PRO. Aggressive export competition from Europe and the Black Sea region pressured international prices, especially in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern markets. Dryness in Australia continues ...More Info

Feed barley is not solicited on the European markets, La Depeche posted on October, 23.

However, experts point out that the French feed barley may demonstrate high competitiveness in the global market, with the industry participants hoping for some animation in the sphere of export. Recently, Jordan purchased 100,000 tonnes of feed barley and Tunisia announced an intention of buying 50,000 tonnes of any origin on October, 22.

The market of malting barley has registered a small rise of trading concerning spring barley varieties of the 2009 crop. As for the 2008 barley crop, the sales are scantier. There is almost no market for winter malting barley, which makes difficult establishing the level of prices.

ABB Grain will this year offer growers segregations and pools for lower specification barley, including F3 and F4 grades, the company said in an official statement on October, 27.

“In response to the below-average season much of South Australia looks set to experience, ABB will be offering F3 and F4 segregations at selected sites to provide growers with a storage option for this lower quality feed barley,” ABB posted.

Operations manager, storage & handling, Andrew Hannon, said ABB would open segregations to capture this grain at various sites around the State.

“With harvest now underway in most regions of SA, we have recognised that much of the grain already flowing into our sites has been the lower grade barley and we realised the need to offer the segregations,” he said.

“We have been working closely with silo committees to find the best alternatives for storage of this grain. This will enable growers to warehouse this grain and then consider their grain marketing options.”

ABB will also be offering a quarterly distribution pool payment option for F3 and F4.

ABB’s pooled grain business manager Anthony Fitzgerald said ABB would be providing growers with a pooling alternative for F3 and F4.

“Although harvest has begun it’s still pretty early ...More Info

Pacific Northwest barley representatives are reporting strong finishes for the 2008 barley crop, but time will tell on acreage planted in the spring of 2009, Capital Press posted on October, 23.

Quality surveys are conducted for the Washington Grain Alliance by the Washington State Department of Agriculture's Grain Inspection Laboratory upon receiving grades for samples submitted by farmers.

About 97 percent of the crop was graded United States No. 2 or better, Mary Palmer Sullivan, the alliance’s Program Director, said, which is the grade that most exporters are selling.

"Test weights being down might hurt us, but I am pretty pleased with the quality this year," she said.

Tammy Dennee, executive director of the Oregon Wheat Growers League, said the Oregon industry was looking for a crop fairly similar to 2007, with market signals indicating there would not be a large number of barley acres planted.

In Idaho, barley production was up 13 percent, Idaho Barley Commission Administrator Kelly Olsen said, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Small Grains Production Report released Sept. 30.

"We've had excellent yields in most parts of the state and excellent quality," she said. "There were some pockets of crop loss due to various environmental conditions."

In northern Idaho, barley producers saw ...More Info

C. Lekkas, G.G. Stewart, A.E. Hill, B. Taidi and J. Hodgson

Abstract

J. Inst. Brew. 113(1), 3–8, 2007 The Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) content of wort prescribes efficient yeast cell growth and fermentation performance. FAN consists of the individual amino acids, small peptides and ammonia ions formed during malting, the relative amounts of which vary. In this paper, the individual constituents of FAN were dissected and their effect on both ale and lager fermentations determined. The patterns of amino acid and small peptide uptake and the changes in extracellular protease activity revealed the dynamic environment that develops during fermentation. Lysine and methionine, previously identified as key amino acids in wort fermentation, were investigated further. Key words: Amino acids, beer flavour and stability, diacetyl, free amino nitrogen, wort oligopeptides, wort supplementation, yeast proteases. Load full article, 6 pages, 919 Kb, PDF file