Beer consumption in Poland decreased by 1% to 4.78 million hl in the first three months of 2003 and the whole beer market fell by 3%, according to the Polish brewers association ZPPP. The Polish top brewers, subsidiaries of Carlsberg, Heineken and SAB, accounted for 94% of all beer sales in Poland.

“The high taxes on beer are not only affecting domestic sales but hurting exports by making them uncompetitive compared to foreign neighbours,” said the beer producers. They are now calling for a tax cut on their products.

Despite the poor quarter, the top three brewers SABMiller's Kompania Piwowarska, Heineken's Zywiec and Carlsberg's Okocim remain confident.

The beer market in general is still expected to grow by some 2% to 3% this year.

Carlsberg Okocim, Poland's third largest brewing group, sold 660 thousand hl of beer in the first quarter, a 1.5% year-on-year decline. But the company maintains its forecasts that beer sales will grow by 10% in full-year 2003.

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