Czech Republic: Breweries raise output to record 19.8 mil hl in 2006
Czech breweries increased output by 3.8 percent to a record 19.79 million hectolitres of beer last year, the Czech Beer and Malt Association said, according to Czech News Agency, March 15.
Beer sale on the domestic market was boosted by favourable weather, especially the hot summer. Beer production for the Czech market amounted to 16.25 million hectolitres, a growth of 1.8 percent against 2005.
Per capita consumption reached 158 litres last year, with foreigners accounting for some 12.5 percent of domestic consumption or about 20 litres.
Beer exports rose by 14 percent on the year to roughly 3.54 million hectolitres. Czech beer is sold especially in Germany (41 percent of exports), Slovakia, England and the USA. Czech beer exports head for more than 50 countries.
The largest Czech beer makers are again Plzensky Prazdroj, Pivovary Staropramen and Budejovicky Budvar. The seven major breweries that account for 84 percent of domestic output also include Kralovsky pivovar Krusovice, PMS Prerov, DRINKS UNION and Starobrno.
The Czech Republic has 48 industrial breweries, their number has not changed for many years, while the number of mini-breweries has been rising. There are nearly 60 mini-breweries in the country.
The most dynamic increase in production was recorded for non-alcoholic beer whose output rose by 37 percent on the year to 328,000 hectolitres last year and almost tripled against 2000, the association said.
Malt production amounted to a record 521,300 tonnes last year, a growth of 1.3 percent, with 36 malt houses in operation. Malt is exported to Poland, Romania, Germany or Cuba. Last year's exports reached 261,000 tonnes.
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