Paris (AFP)

At least 10 million liters of beer will be destroyed, because they were not consumed in time because of the containment, we learned Tuesday from Brasseurs de France.

"The brutal closure of cafes, restaurants, the cessation of tourist activities and the cancellation of all festivals and fairs has left more than 10 million liters of beer, mostly in barrels, in arrears", announced the professional union on Tuesday .

This figure is one of the lessons learned by Brasseurs de France from a consultation conducted at the end of April with its 300 members, who represent 98% of French production.

"The destruction of this beer will also have a significant cost for businesses," said the union, which is appealing to the public authorities.

Among the many measures requested by brewers, aid for the "destruction of beer stocks", as demanded by winegrowers from Brussels for wine.

If these 10 million liters seem little compared to the 22.5 million hectoliters produced for 2020 (estimate), they represent several million euros in losses for brewers who are sometimes financially fragile.

"We are a very indebted sector, since we invested 241 million euros in development in 2019, a significant figure for a turnover of just over 4 billion euros," said l 'AFP Maxime Costilhes, Managing Director of Brasseurs de France.

Main reason for this destruction, the beers in vogue, often unpasteurized unlike classic lagers, are more fragile.

"These are very hoppy beers, and if they are kept too long, when they exceed two to three months of conservation, the olfactory effect and the gustatory effect, the aroma, disappears," explained Mr. Costilhes.

This figure of 10 million liters relates only to beer stored at brewers, according to Mr. Costilhes, for whom "it is a base that can only progress".

About 25% of breweries are currently shutdown due to lack of activity, according to the study, and "70% of breweries report a loss of 50% of turnover or more since March 15".

While almost one in two breweries has received a loan guaranteed by the State, and one in four from the solidarity fund, "a strong recovery plan must accompany the recovery" of cafes, hotels and restaurants and tourism, estimates Brasseurs de France, which also claims an exemption from employer and production charges for 2020.

© 2020 AFP