E-Malt.com News article: Japan: Kirin to boost output of third-category beer brand, sell two plants this year

Kirin Brewery Co. will boost output of its Nodogoshi Nama third-category beer in August by 10 percent from a year earlier as the hot summer is leading to increased beer sales, President Koichi Matsuzawa was quoted as saying by Kyodo News International on August, 6.

After Kirin's shipments of beer and beer-like beverages in the first half of this year fell 7.3 percent from a year earlier, the firm hopes to recover sales with the popular third-category beer, cheaper than regular beer, Matsuzawa said.

While pointing to possible hikes in the price of grain and other beer ingredients, Matsuzawa indicated his hope to avoid raising the price of any beer products following the latest price increase in 2008. ''We would like to stabilize the supply of ingredients and avoid any situation in which we would be forced to pass hikes in the prices of ingredients on to product prices.''

The Kirin chief said the company will maintain its nine plants excluding two plants that will terminate operations at the end of this month and in October, adding that the two plant sites will be sold.

Matsuzawa also said Kirin hopes to ''expand cooperation'' with other brewers in improving distribution efficiency. Kirin has started joint transportation of products with companies such as Sapporo Breweries Ltd. in some regions.



06 August, 2010