OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus decreased output of vodka, hard liquor, fermented beverages (fruit wines, mixed drinks with alcohol content) year on year in January-March 2013, while output of brandy, cognac, sparkling wine and grape wine was on the rise, an official with Belarus’ National Statistics Committee told.

Belarus’ vodka and hard liquor output decreased 3.1% on the year in January-March 2013 to 3.861 million decaliters; fermented beverages – down 6.8% to 2.685 million dal.

In the period, cognac output amounted to 81,000 dal, up 12.5%. “Cognac” is a name used to denote a type of brandy in the former Soviet Union. Output of sparkling wines grew 0.6% year on year in January-March 2013 to 360,000 dal.

Inventories of vodka and other liquors grew 19.3% on the month to 2.335 million decaliters as of April 1, 2013, 181.4% of the average monthly output.

Stock reserve of cognac stood at 89,000 decaliters (up 11.3%), 3.3 times the average monthly output, sparking wines – up 21.6% to 208,000 dal (173.3%), grape wines – up 3.3% to 284,000 (137.4%), fermented drinks – up 31.8% to 775,000 dal, 86.6% of the average monthly output.

Belarus’ sales of alcohol beverages and beer totalled Br4.957 trillion (USD 573.098 million) in Jan-Mar 2013, which accounts for 11.3% of the total retail turnover.

Vodka sales decreased 9% on the year in January-March 2013 to 2.557 million decaliters. Sales of other hard drinks fell 20.7% to 399,300 decaliters; fruit wines – down 8.7% to 2.433 million dal; sparkling wines (including Champaign) – down 9.1% to 337,800 dal.

Sales of cognac went up 50.1% on the year to 86,000 decaliters; grape wines – up 17.4% to 802,700 dal.

The share of vodka in the sales of alcoholic beverages in absolute alcohol terms in Belarus reduced by 1.7 percentage points from January-March 2013 to 49.1%. The share of other hard drinks stood at 5.8%, down 1% year on year. The share of grape wines in alcohol sales stood at 5.4% (up 1.1 percentage point).

The share of fruit wine sales decreased 0.7 percentage points to 21%. The share of cognac edged up 0.7% percentage points to 1.7%, and of champagne and sparkling wines reduced 0.1 percentage points to 1.8%.