Russia: Russian beer production grew 11.8% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2004, according to a study conducted by the Brewers' Union and the marketing agency Business Analitika. The leading company for the period were Sun Interbrew, Baltika, Vena and Heineken Brewery. These company have registered a 20% increase of beer volumes for the period. Market experts have noticed some tendencies for the last quarter of the year: companies’ aspiration to merging and extension; the changing of consumer's preference from average price beer to economic class beer and premium class; and also launching new restaurants and pubs under brewer’s brands.

Russian breweries increased product output 12% year-on-year in January-September 2004, the Russian Brewers' Union told Interfax on October 25. Breweries produced 5.87 billion liters of beer in 2003 and, according to preliminary data, beer output will be 6.58 billion liters in 2004. Breweries, which produce a total of more than 70% of the beer in Russia, increased output an average of 14% in the period. Russia currently has some 380 breweries.

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