KBL ramps up barley, sorghum orders as beer demand rises
Keg barrels at the Kenya Breweries Limited plant in Kisumu.
What you need to know:
- Economic restrictions during the Covid-19 period, depressed KBL beer sales, forcing it to reduce grain demand.
- During peak performance, EABL consumed 40,000 tonnes of sorghum and barley in their financial year starting July.
The Kenya Breweries Limited has increased orders for barley and sorghum following increased demand for beer in the wake of the easing of Covid-19 restriction that allowed bars to operate until 9pm.
The beer maker said in a statement on Wednesday that it has increased demand for sorghum and barley to 20,000 tonnes each for the year starting July from their earlier set of 12,000 tonnes on increased demand for beer, offering a major boost to farmers.
“The easing of Covid-19 restrictions such as the reopening of on-trade outlets (bars, pubs and restaurants) by the government has paved way for the revision of Kenya Breweries Limited’s grain demand,” said EABL’s group corporate relations director Eric Kiniti on Wednesday.
Mr Kiniti said economic restrictions imposed by the State during the Covid-19 period, depressed their sales, forcing them to reduce grain demand.
During peak performance, EABL consumed 40,000 tonnes of sorghum and barley in their financial year starting July.
However, the beer maker took various steps to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic to farmers and purchased 45,000 tonnes of barley and 32,000 tonnes of sorghum and paid all the farmers.
