Total Japanese shipments of beer and low-malt "happoshu" fell 6.4% in February this year, Reuters reported in a statemt. Only shipments of happoshu, a low-malt beer substitute, fell 0.1% to 188,827 thousand litres in February from a year earlier. It was the first decline since June.

Happoshu accounted for 46.4% of total beer shipments in February. Demand for happoshu increased as the beverage is taxed at a lower rate and is sold for about two-thirds the price of regular beer. Demand for regular beer fell down 11.2% from a year earlier to 218,126 thousand litres.
Asahi Breweries Ltd, Japan's largest brewer by shipments, said its beer and happoshu shipments fell 5.3% in February from a year earlier. Shipments of Asahi Super Dry, Japan's best-selling beer, fell 7%.
The other four main brewers -- Kirin Brewery Co Ltd, Sapporo Breweries Ltd, plus unlisted Suntory Ltd and Orion Breweries Co Ltd -- do not release monthly breakdowns of shipments.

By early afternoon, shares in Asahi were unchanged at 771 yen while those in Kirin fell 1.55% to 827 yen.

12 March, 2003