Beer consumption in Germany picked up in the first half of the year following the sober period of COVID-19, but the specter of a gas supply shutdown now hangs over breweries which fear production stoppages.
“Without gas, supermarket shelves remain empty,” warned the federation of brewers on Monday, who are very dependent on this fossil fuel for production.
The food industry is, following the chemical industry, the most gas-intensive sector, used in particular during malting, the first step in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.
After the drastic drop in consumption during the health crisis, demand for beer picked up: Germans drank 3.6 billion liters between January and June – a 6.4% increase over one year.
But exports fell by 19%, leading to a 3.8% drop in sales in the sector, according to the Federal Statistical Institute Destatis.
Compared to 2019, before the impact of the pandemic, German breweries sold 5.5% less in the first half.
“The beer industry continues to work in crisis mode,” warns Holger Eichele, president of the brewers’ federation.
It is now “impossible” to replace gas as the main source of energy and the extent of the energy shock “is not yet estimable”, he adds.
Several breweries have already raised their prices in response to rising production costs before the war in Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion, the prices of several raw materials, starting with cereals, have once more soared.
The suppliers of the breweries whose production also depends on gas are also suffering, starting with the manufacturers of the glass bottles.
You may have heard regarding health problems linked to high uric acid content in the blood, such as arthritis or gout. This problem can be made worse if we follow a diet high in purines, however, many people do not know what they are. Purines are part of DNA; the product of its metabolism is uric acid found in our body. Although it is a necessary substance, its excess can have negative consequences for our well-being.
If you want to reduce your uric acid levels, you should first avoid eating red meat, lentils, bone or meat broths, sardines, chicken, liver and other organ meats. Second, you must adopt a balanced and healthy diet, something that will be easy to achieve if you follow our advice.
A number of land cross-boundary control points are currently suspending passenger clearance services, and the operation hours of Shenzhen Bay Control Point have also been temporarily shortened to “9 to 8”. The government plans to extend the passenger service at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point to 24 hours a day and activate the passenger service at the Heung Yuen Wai Border Control Point in due course following the COVID-19 epidemic has stabilized.
In his speech at an event today (31st), Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang said that under the development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, it is expected that the flow of people to and from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area will increase in the future. Therefore, the Security Bureau will continue to enhance the customs clearance capacity of control points. The plan will further facilitate exchanges.
Shenzhen Bay has provided 24-hour freight customs clearance
The Shenzhen Bay Control Point was originally open from 6:30 a.m. to 0:00 a.m. every day, but the freight customs clearance service has been extended to full-day more than a year ago. As for the Heung Yuen Wai border control point, the loan inspection facility was opened in August last year, but the passenger part has not been opened due to the epidemic.
Originally published on AM730 https://www.am730.com.hk/local/customs-clearance-full-day customs clearance at Shenzhen Bay Control Point following the epidemic-opening Liantang Xiangyuanwei travel inspection in due course/331284