Alcohol, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

UAB Svyturys-Utenos Alus CEO Rolandas Virsilas said that the price of barley is currently lowest and the company has stocked on it earlier. Meanwhile, the price of aluminium which is used to make cans is said to grow and it might affect the price of beer. Furthermore, the excise on alcohol will increase which means that the end price of beer will grow as well.

The excise for beer will be raised from LTL 8.5 to LTL 9.35 per hectolitre degree of alcohol.

UAB Svyturys-Utenos Alus says that the beer market in Lithuania in January-August has shrunk by 8.5% year-on-year. The company noted that the market has been on the decline for the second year in the row. It dropped by 5.6% in 2012. However, it was noticed that the consumers choose better quality beer produced by Lithuanian breweries. The brewery says it sold 138 million litres of various beverages in the first three quarters of 2013, which is by 6% more year-on-year. In the first half of 2013 the company's turnover increased by 9% and reached LTL 233 million (EUR 67 million).

The biggest change, according to the company, is that the sales of imported beer are dropping and consumers are rediscovering Lithuanian beer.

UAB Svyturys-Utenos Alus estimates that its market share grew by 1.3% in a year and it currently holds 42% of the whole Lithuanian beer market.