Australia: ABB Grain Ltd. announced on March 23 that its subsidiary Joe White Maltings Pty Ltd and leading Australian brewer Lion Nathan Australia have renewed their long-term supply relationship signing a new malt supply contract effective from April 2005. Joe White Maltings Pty Ltd is the wholly owned malt subsidiary of ABB Grain Ltd.

The agreement, which is worth significantly in excess of $100 million dollars, will involve Joe White Maltings supplying Lion Nathan’s breweries, Castlemaine Perkins (Brisbane), Tooheys (Sydney), South Australian Brewing (Adelaide) and Swan Brewery (Perth).

ABB Grain managing director, Michael Iwaniw, said the renewal of the supply arrangements reflected the long-standing relationship between Joe White Maltings and Lion Nathan and both companies’ strong technical partnership.

“Both businesses have a focus on quality and this agreement will ensure that our strong technical partnership, which involves research on the latest malting and brewing trends will continue,” Mr Iwaniw said.

Mr Iwaniw added Joe White Maltings was continuing to focus on growing export markets for the brand throughout South-East Asia.

ABB’s expansion of its Forrestfield malt plant in Perth, which was initiated to meet this demand, was proceeding according to plan with construction under way and production expected to begin in the first quarter of the 2006 calendar year.

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