Top brewers look forward to good sales in 2003

The top three brewing groups - Zywiec, unlisted Kompania Piwowarska and Carlsberg Okocim - expect stronger sales in 2003 thanks to a gradual economic revival and hefty investment in production. The domestic beer market was among the most rapidly growing sectors in the early 1990s, rising by 10% a year as the nation's drinking habits changed and its purchasing power grew. But economic stagnation brought the robust growth to a near halt by 2001 and pushed foreign-controlled producers deeply into the red. Beer sales bounced back in 2002 to reach a record 26 million hectolitres, up 8% from 2001, partly boosted by exceptionally hot weather, according to figures released by the Association of Beer Industry Employers. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5, Reuters) A.Z.