Uttar Pradesh is increasing its beer production by 15-20% in order to meet the demand during the hot summer months. Last fiscal year, over 60 crore units of 500 ml beer cans were consumed in the state, and officials are confident that demand will increase this season.
Senior excise officials have informed IANS that the sale of beer is likely to increase between May and July. Last year, many beer brands were not available in the market until mid-May, prompting officials to ask the five breweries in the state if they could increase their daily capacity. Four out of five were able to do so.
The state has a range of local and imported beer brands available, and with the increase in production, officials hope to meet the demand during the summer months.
Launch of sixth brewing unit
The sixth brewing unit in Sonbhadra has launched a new product in the market this month, that will compete with existing brands. The state's first brewery was established in 1959, while the fifth came up in August 2015. Various domestic and international beer companies have introduced 162 different products (330 ml pint, 500 ml can, and 650 ml bottle).
Of these, 15 are imported while 96 brands being marketed in the state are bottled and manufactured in breweries in other states. The remaining 51 brands are from six breweries in Uttar Pradesh.
In addition to the Sonbhadra unit, another brewery in Barabanki is set to begin operations in a few months. The department officials have also shared a timeline of the brewing units, with the first unit in Ghaziabad in 1959, followed by Meerut in 1976, Ghaziabad in 2003, Aligarh in 2011 and Unnao in 2015.
Overall, this move to increase beer production is aimed at meeting the growing demand in the state during the summer months, as the hot weather drives consumers to look for ways to cool down.
With IANS input
