OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus' OAO Minsk Sparkling Wines Plant reported a 46.8% decrease in wine production in January-June 2014 to 338,000 decalitres, a source in the administration of the company told.

Last year Belarusian retailers accumulated large inventories of sparkling wines. Inventories grew even larger after the New Year, when consumer demand started to wane, which caused the company to reduce output, a senior staff representative told. In spring the company started to increase output and hopes it will get back to normal by the end of the year.

Still grape wine production reached 8,000 decalitres, down 78.9% year on year. The winery's total output reduced 48.6% on the year to 346,000 decalitres.

The company was forced to reduce output because of low demand.

In value terms, the company's inventories reduced 20.7% month on month to Br49.921 billion (USD 4.86 million) as of July 1, 2014.

Minsk Sparkling Wines Plant was established in 1978; it makes 80 varieties of beverages; annual output is estimated at 12 million bottles.

The company's output totalled Br109.711 billion (USD 10.683 million) in Jan-Jun 2014, to compare with Br198.425 billion in Jan-Jun 2013.