Czech Republic: Budvar exported record-high 556,000 hl of beer in 2006

Czech state-owned brewery Budejovicky Budvar increased its beer exports by 7 percent to 556,000 hectoliters in 2006, spokesman Petr Samec told CTK January 15.

Budvar raised exports above all to its key markets in Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, and Austria. It sold beer to 50 countries of the world.

"We appreciate the result the more that competition in these countries is extremely fierce and demand for beer is stagnant or even falls slightly," said Budvar sales director Robert Chrt.

Budvar also raised beer output, by 5 percent to 1.151 million hectolitres, in 2006. The brewery came third among Czech beer exporters, trailing Plzensky Prazdroj and Pivovary Staropramen.

Exports to Germany grew by 5 percent on the year to 190,000 hectolitres and sales to Britain added 11 percent to 106,000 hl. Budweiser Budvar was also the only Czech product included in the prestigious CoolBrands list for this year.

Demand for beer in Germany and Britain is falling slowly, which makes the figures more valuable, said Chrt. "It has turned out that our strategic decision to sell beer to these markets through our own subsidiaries was correct," said Samec.

Sales to Slovakia rose by 10 percent to 60,000 hl of beer, while exports to Austria jumped 23 percent to 45,000 hectolitres in 2006.

"Budweiser Budvar has strengthened its position as the top-selling imported premium lager in Austria," said Samec.
Budvar has been exporting beer practically since it was established in 1895. Its targets include exotic countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Mongolia.