Africa, Malawi: Carlsberg Malawi Breweries Limited announced on Tuesday, January 4, 2005, a price increase for its beer brands with effect from Tuesday. Carlsberg said in a statement it regrets the increase in prices barely one month after its sister company Southern Bottlers Limited raised prices of beverages due to high cost of fuel and raw materials, according Nation Malawi. The announcement has coincided with a scarcity of Carlsberg beer brands in most wholesale sales depots in Blantyre on Sunday, raising fears of hoarding of the old stock.

From Tuesday Carlsberg Green and Brown in 333 millilitre (ml) bottles will be selling at K50 each up from K42, according to the statement. On the other hand, Carlsberg 633 ml giant bottle has been raised from K63 to K70 in retail shops like PTC and Shoprite shops. Carlsberg�s local light beer Kuche Kuche will now be selling at K40, up from K38 retail per half litre bottle while Carlsberg Stout and Special Brew have been raised from K48 to K55 per 333 ml bottle.

These increases mean that consumers who partake the beers from bottle stores will be paying higher prices as has always been the case. For example, when Carlsberg Stout and Special Brew were selling at K48 retail, bottle stores were selling the same at K55 while Carlsberg Green and Brown used to sell at K50 in most drinking joints.

Carlsberg�s group sales and marketing manager Anders Lassen could not be drawn into giving reasons for the price hike as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday. Reacting to the price hike, a Ndirande-based imbiber said the development was unfortunate and been mistimed.
�Beer prices have gone up? That�s a very sad way to start the New Year,� said the consumer.