April 7 2004, 08:31 APK-Inform

Ukrpyvo initiates reduction of import duty for hop

Closed joint stock company Ukrpyvo, incorporating major Ukrainian brewing plants, initiates reduction of import duty for hop and products to 20 percent from the current 50, the company's General Director Halina Korenkova told reporters on April 6. She said this size of the duty had been agreed with the WTO countries.

Korenkova said the proposition was caused by the insufficient domestic production of hop in Ukraine, which made no more than 1,000 tonnes per year, with the annual needs of 4,000 tonnes. She said this concerned not only hop, but high-quality granulated raw material as well.

Ms Korenkova stressed that the brewers supported the growers of hop by deducing 1 percent of their beer sales to the purpose.