OREANDA-NEWS. September 15, 2009. Ukraine’s brewery Slavutich, Carlsberg Group, plans to keep sales in Belarus unchanged in 2009 at 700,000 decaliters, national export manager of the company, Roman Bondar, told.

“It is a very difficult year both for producers and consumers. We hope to sell at least the amount we sold in 2008, that is, 700,000 decaliters,” he said.

The brewery believes supplies to Belarus are balanced now.

Bondar noted a rapid development of the beer market in Belarus, which is typical of all former Soviet Union countries.

Belarus is Ukraine’s second-largest foreign outlet after Russia, he noted, commenting on Slavutich’s priorities.

According to him, the key obstacle to sales in Belarus is state support for domestic breweries.

“The main barrier is the specific nature of state support for local productions. Instead of encouraging them to improve quality, they are trying to smother importers,” Bondar said.

Slavutich, Carlsberg Group has a combined capacity of 10 million hectoliters of beer and 2 million hectoliters of soft drinks annually. The company makes beverages under proprietary and international brands Slavutich, Slavutich ICE, Lvovskoe, Tuborg, Holsten, Carlsberg, Baltika, 7UP, Pepsi, and Kvass Taras. Slavutich Carlsberg Group produced 54.116 million decaliters of beer in January-August.