RUSSIA: Belarus considers Krinitsa expansion - report

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 4 September 2007

The Belarus brewing sector may be developed by expanding its largest brewery Krinitsa, according to local reports.

The speculated enlargement of Krinitsa, by amalgamating several state-owned breweries into the company, is reportedly a way to fend off foreign investment.

Krinitsa is said to be planning to extend its capacity from 1.8m to 2m hectolitres this month, the reports claimed yesterday (3 September). By the middle of this month, the brewery aims to have plans in place to reach a capacity of 3m hectolitres.

The news follows recent speculation of a possible privatisation of Krinitsa, involving a slew of global brewers pondering a purchase.

President Alexander Lukashenko recently commissioned the Belarussian government to look at a way of upgrading the domestic brewing industry without attracting foreign investment, after it began pondering a sale of its majority stake in Krinitsa, an unnamed source was cited as telling local news agency Prime-Tass.

Sectors: Beer & cider