08 February 2008

debeers - a diamond is forever


from today's new times:
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consumers of mutzig are going to have to start digging deeper into their pockets as factory prices of beer brands have significantly been increased, on average by frw100 (20 cents US).

rwanda breweries and soft drink manufacturer (bralirwa) says it has been forced to increase prices in part due to the soaring prices of raw materials, some of which are imported. a statement from bralirwa says prices of malt grain, the major ingredient for brewing beer, has increased significantly on the world market. however, by press time bralirwa could not disclose the current prices and volumes of the malt it imports. the company also says high costs of petrol and transport have increased thereby pushing up operating costs.

according to the statement, costs of other raw materials like sugar and hops – used primarily as a flavoring and stabilizing agent in beer – are also high. in addition, high prices for maize and other cereals in combination with limited supplies have contributed to the increase of beer prices.

however, prices of primus, heineken and soft drinks have not changed – something bralirwa says, ‘is for the affordability and accessibility for the rwandan consumers’.
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i object!

as you, my dear compatriots, are well aware, mutzig beer is at the top of my food pyramid when i am in rwanda! how could they? how dare they! now i have empathy for the current market conditions which are forcing the hand of bralirwa ... the crisis in kenya, high oil prices, etc. - but please don't touch my mutzig!

how elitist, by the way, that mutzig prices are going up, while it's sister brew, primus, remains unchanged. an interesting turn of events ... in kigali, primus is widely advertised as the ale of the people, and is in fact being distributed in smaller bottles to promote affordability (why do i know all this stuff? uggghhhhh!). so only us foreigners are affected.

and speaking of kenya, it is now confirmed that all imports coming into landlocked rwanda (including all of the supplies for the project i'm working on) will now have to flow through the port of dar-es-salaam in tanzania. incentives have been promised, tax breaks have been negotiated, and mombasa's port in kenya may never be the same if uganda and congo follow suit.

think i'll switch to wine ...

h

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