(Yicai Global) June 2 -- Budweiser, the world's leading brewer, and Chinese state-backed agriculture business Jiangsu Nongken Group recently celebrated the malting barley harvest at their third Growers' Day event in Sheyang county in China's eastern Jiangsu province.

“We're working with Jiangsu Nongken to localize barley growing to ensure high-quality raw materials, supply security, and efficiency,” Jan Clysner, vice president of Sustainability and Procurement at Budweiser APAC, told Yicai Global. 

More localized malting barley helps Budweiser APAC get high-quality materials to better meet consumers' needs for premiumization, according to Clysner. Premiumization has been a successful strategy for Budweiser over recent years.
Budweiser APAC has also tried to bring more brands to more cities in China and increased their availability to consumers, allowing the beer giant to enjoy double-digit volume growth in the country, he added.

Clysner also brought up the success of Budweiser’s Supplier Strategic Alliance, whereby the company works closely with some of its beer suppliers to help them develop, ultimately benefiting both parties.

Budweiser and Jiangsu Nongken's collaboration dates back to 2016. They joined hands with local growers to produce malting barley, which China is overly dependent on imports for. Budweiser bought 40,000 tons of local barley last year, 60,000 tons this year, and plans to sow another 80,000 tons in the coming year.

Editor: Peter Thomas