Slovakia: Breweries expect production growth

The first quarter of 2007 went well for Slovakia's breweries, the Sme daily reported on May 29. Beer consumption in Slovakia now stands at some 80 litres per person per year, after falling for four years mainly due to higher consumption taxes.

Beer production is now set to stabilise, however. In fact, brewers even expect an increase. According to Heineken spokesman Roman Krajaniak, beer consumption is now increasing partly thanks to the warm weather, and the breweries have invested in new products and packaging.

Beer exports fell by a considerable 70 percent last year. This fall, however, was partly influenced by the licensed brewing abroad of certain Slovak beers such as Zlatý Bažant (Golden Pheasant) and Šariš. Roman Šusták, executive director of the Slovak Association of Beer Producers, estimated that some 45 million litres of Slovak beer were brewed abroad last year.