OREANDA-NEWS. May 11, 2010. Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output increased 4.1% on the year in January-March 2010 to 3.8 million decaliters, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told.

In monetary terms, vodka and hard liquor output increased 4.1% to 179.3 billion Belarusian rubles (Br).

In the period, cognac output amounted to 69,000 decaliters, down 1.4% on the year. “Cognac” is a name used to denote a type of brandy in the former Soviet Union.

Belarus’ output of grape wines decreased 7.6% on the year to 466,000 decaliters, and the output of fruit wines decreased 5.1% to 4 million decaliters. The production of sparkling wines went up 16% on the year in the period to 334,000 decaliters.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors amounted to 1.067 million decaliters on April 1, 2010, 84.7% of the monthly output, to the amount of 75.5 billion rubles, 126.4% of the monthly output.

Inventories of wine products were at 68.1 billion rubles, 123.5% of the monthly output.

Vodka sales decreased 2.4% on the year in January-March 2010 to 2.657 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks rose 23.8% to 365,600 decaliters, sales of grape wines went up 12% on the year to 644,500 decaliters.

Sales of cognac went up 18.6% to 67,000 decaliters, sales of sparkling wines went up 4.5% on the year to 269,800 decaliters. Sales of fruit wines increased 2.4% to 3.708 million decaliters.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages [in absolute alcohol terms on April 1, 2010] in Belarus decreased to 47.2% in January-March 2010 from 44.7% in January-March 2009. The share of other hard drinks rose 0.9 of a percentage point to 4.9%. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales edged up 0.3 of a percentage point to 4%.

Fruit wine sales share decreased 0.1 of a percentage point, still remaining high at 29.6%.

The share of cognac edged up 0.1 of a percentage point to 1.2% and of sparkling wines remained unchanged at 1.3 percentage points.