China’s beer production volume grew by 14.26 bln litres between 2003 - 2007, China PRO cited data provided by China’s Alcoholic Drinks Industry Association on December, 1.

According to the statistics, the nation’s beer production grew by 56.9%, whereas its beer turnover soared by 88.6% to 45.52 bln yuan over the reporting five years. Tax proceeds from the brewing industry into the national treasury grew by 4.704 bln yuan, or 47.7%, and total profit of the industry increased by 137.8%.

In 2007, the production volume in money terms constituted 103.12 trillion yuan, increasing by 18.6% over 2006. In 15 provinces, the production volume of the breweries exceeded 1 bln litres. In 6 provinces – Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Liaoning, and Jiangsu - the production volume was more than 2 bln litres.

As of September, 2008, Shandong, Henan and Zhejiang still kept their leadership with a 27.7% share of the total volume of beer produced in China.

UK-based SABMiller forecasts that India’s beer consumption will rise five-fold over the next 5 years, Reuters communicated on November, 28.

India, the fastest-growing beer market in Asia, will see a rapid expansion of the segment in question despite high taxes and a low number of retail outlets, the brewing giant maintains.

Although the world's second most populous country has a small beer market, its growth has attracted the world's top four brewers to the subcontinent, and analysts say attacks this week on the financial capital Mumbai are unlikely to halt growth.

In the eight years of its presence in India, SABMiller has achieved a market share of over a third closely following market leader United Breweries Ltd.

India's beer market is only a quarter the size of the British market despite its 1.1 billion population, with per capita consumption only around 1 litre a year compared to big beer drinking nations in western Europe of over 100 litres.

"I would be surprised and disappointed if consumption would be under 5 litres in 5 to 10 years," managing director of SABMiller India Jean-Marc Delpon de Vaux says.

The Indian market grew 14 percent in the year to end-March 2008 in volume terms outpacing China at 9 percent, ...More Info

Suntory Ltd.'s beer brewery business is likely to move into the black this year for the first time since it entered the field in 1963, Japan Times posted on November, 14.

Thanks to such hit products as Premium Malts beer and low-priced beerlike beverages, the company may see an operating profit of more than ¥1 billion for the current business year through December, compared with a loss of several billion yen in the previous year, sources said.

Beating ¥225.2 billion in beer sales during the 2007 business year, the brewery is expected to reach ¥240 billion in sales in 2008.

The rise in annual sales is expected because Suntory put off price increases for its products until September, while its rivals went ahead with their own hikes, sources added.

The brewer also succeeded in absorbing about ¥4 billion worth of increase in raw materials costs by reducing sales promotion costs.

Russia’s leading brewer Baltika Breweries increased its sales in the US by 12% in January – September 2008 compared to the same period last year, RIA Novosty informed on December, 3.

During the first nine months of this year Baltika sold about 1 mln litres of beer in the US, the company said.

The best results were demonstrated by Baltika #7 Export, of which the sales grew by 68%. Baltika #9 Strong was ranked second (+54%).

The Russian brewery ships its production to the US since 2001. At present, Baltika presents in US all the line of its Baltika brand, as well as the Arsenalnoye, Zhigulyovskoye, and Yarpivo beers.

India’s leading brewer United Breweries Holdings Ltd announced the Audited Financial results for the year ended March 31, 2008, Equity Bulls communicated on December, 2.

The revised net profit amounted to Rs 647.90 million for the year ended March 31, 2008 as compared to Rs 252.30 million for the year ended March 31, 2007.

Total Income has increased from Rs 2843.20 million for the year ended March 31, 2007 to Rs 4507.40 million for the year ended March 31, 2008.

The stock closed the day at Rs.72, down by Rs.3 or 4%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.74.95 and low of Rs.71.55, it is reported.

Slavutich Carlsberg Group brewery has decided to increase its authorized capital by UAH96 mln through a public share issue, the Danish-Ukrainian company informed on December, 1.

The brewer said the emission will embrace 96 mln of ordinary registered shares at par value of UAH 1 each. Slavutich’s current shareholders are given the pre-emption right on equity basis. Funds obtained will be allocated for modernization of the company’s brewing facilities.

The term of emission is 05.01.2009 – 30.08.2009. As a result, the authorized capital stock of Slavutich is to increase by 11.25% to UAH 949.69 mln.

The president of the Dominican breweries grouped in Adace said the industry generates more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, and represents nearly 3 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, Dominican Today communicated on December, 1.

According to Rafael Menicucci, the beer companies, headed by the breweries Nacional Dominicana, La Vegana, Bohemia and Ambev, pay more than RD$4 billion in taxes.

The executive said in Latin America Dominican Republic is among the top eight beer producers and among the top three exporters to the United States.

Diageo Ireland is to stop brewing operations at its St Francis Abbey Brewery in Kilkenny, Ireland, by 2013, Kilkenny People posted on December, 3.

The brewer called for the proposed new bridge across the River Nore to be built in a different city centre location, and asked that work on its St Francis Abbey Brewery site be deferred until 2013 when the brewing operations cease there.

Christopher McGarry made the case on behalf of Diageo at an oral hearing held by An Bord Pleanála concerning the proposed Central Access Scheme ('inner relief road'), which is taking place this week in the Ormonde Hotel.

In his presentation, Mr McGarry emphasised that Diageo supported "the purpose and intent of this road scheme", but called for two major alterations: in the construction time-frame and the location of the new bridge, which is currently planned for a location just south of Green's Bridge.

"The central process of brewing (in effect, a food preparation industry) requires that full control over the site environment is retained by Diageo at all times," Mr McGarry said. "It is not allowable for the site activities to experience any interference from potential pollutants via dust of other airborne contaminants. If the road scheme is ...More Info

A fire-brigade was called in the early morning of December, 1 to a malt silo of the Schill-Malz company in Worms, a town southwest of Frankfurt, Wormser Zeitung posted on the same day.

Police say a fire-fighter has been killed and seven rescue workers have been injured as a result of the explosion of the silo which happened while the brigade was fighting the fire.

The injured rescue workers were flown by helicopter to nearby hospitals and three remain in critical condition.

According to police spokesman Klaus Weinmann, firefighters have contained the blaze.

The cause of the fire and explosion at the factory, which produces malt for breweries, is unknown.

Last week was again marked by a drop in feed barley prices, La Depeche communicated on November, 28. Prices are getting very close to the level of intervention.

The trade on the EU market of feed barley occurs very rarely, with the purchasers preferring to buy on a single instance basis in order to follow the dropping prices. Experts believe the producers of animal fodder have full stocks to last up to the end of the year.

As for the market of malting barley, the activity concerning crop 2008/2009 is still very low, traders report. Crop 2009/2010 enjoys more demand. Significantly revitalized by German consumers, the market nevertheless demonstrates a bearish tendency.

Growers considering planting malting barley this season have been urged to make sure they have a viable contract before putting the crop in the ground, Farmers Weekly Interactive published on December, 2.

“Many saw decent returns from the crop last season due to the high prices and bumper yields, but this should not be the sole reason for growing more this year,” Teddie Maufe, chairman of the malting barley growers confederation warned.

“I’m worried we could have a yo-yo situation where growers who saw barley do well last season, plant more this spring and we end up with huge oversupply next year and possibly into 2010. If you’re going to grow it, make sure you can get a decent contract with a viable price. Don’t wade in without thinking about what it could do to the market.”

Mr Maufe, who also farms on the Holkham Estate in north Norfolk, said that while barley was slightly cheaper to grow than wheat, at least £130/t was needed to make the crop stack up financially.

“Malting barley is a niche product and it’s important it’s grown sensibly and with discipline. Don’t be lemming-like and hope the price bucks up.”

C.J. Strauss, P.W.J. van Wyk, E.J. Lodolo, P.J. Botes, C.H. Pohl1, S. Nigam and J.L.F. Kock

Abstract

ABSTRACT J. Inst. Brew. 113(1), 42–47, 2007 Mitochondrial function is generally accepted as important for expression of yeast flocculation. In this study, a correlation between mitochondrial activity and flocculation is demonstrated using the XTT reduction assay. The mitochondrial activity of strongly flocculent cells was higher than those of weakly flocculent cells and cells cultivated in the presence of acetylsalicylic acid. Furthermore, we show the first oxylipin-containing flocculation binding sites on yeast cell surfaces using scanning electron microscopy. We propose that in addition to zymolectinmediated flocculation, oxylipin interactions may also play a role in yeast flocculation. Key words: 3-Hydroxy oxylipins, binding sites, electron microscopy, flocculation, mitochondria, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, XTT reduction assay. Load full article, 6 pages, 1600 Kb, PDF file