SINGAPORE (Sept 25): Fraser and Neave (F&N) has marked its return to Myanmar’s beer market with the start of commercial operations at Emerald Brewery Myanmar.
F&N had exited the market back in 2015 when it sold a 55% stake in Myanmar Brewery to Japan’s Kirin Holdings for US$560 million after fighting a two-year legal battle in Singapore with its partner, Union of Myanma Economic Holdings (UMEHL), one of Myanmar’s two military-run conglomerates.
Now, a year after committing an investment of US$70 million ($96.5 million) and led by a leadership team with years of industry experience, operations at the state-of-the-art brewery, located in Hlegu Township, Yangon, has started brewing and marketing the award-winning Chang Lager Beer.
“F&N’s capital investment has been deployed to build a modern brewery which will deliver an annual beer production capacity of 500,000 hectolitres, to grow logistics including sales and distribution operations, as well as drive marketing and people capabilities,” says F&N in a Wednesday press release.
“Through Emerald Brewery, F&N will contribute to Myanmar’s economic and social success by investing in local manufacturing, employing local people, engaging local suppliers and distributors and supporting community investment programmes,” adds F&N.
Emerald Brewery’s facility will pack and distribute Chang Lager Beer in five formats – 330ml and 500ml cans, 320ml and 620ml bottles and 30-litre keg. The brewery is also designed to accommodate an expansion in production capacity in the coming years.
Year to date, shares in F&N are trading 3 cents higher at $1.73 on Wednesday.
