Beer sales in Maharashtra drop 62.5% from pre-Covid

The sales of beer in Maharashtra fell by 62.5% per day last month, compared to the period before Covid-19, which officials attributed to people avoiding cold products.

The sales of beer in Maharashtra fell by 62.5% per day last month, compared to the period before Covid-19, which officials attributed to people avoiding cold products. Sales fell to 3 lakh litres per day in October, down from 8 lakh litres per day in January, officials said.

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“Due to Covid-19, people are being asked not to consume cold products. This has played a huge role in people avoiding cold beer, impacting its sale,” said Kantilal Umap, state excise commissioner.

However, sales of other liquor were not impacted much. The sale of country liquor is about 9 lakh litres per day, compared to 10 lakh litres in the pre-Covid-19 days. Whiskey, vodka, rum and other sales have reached approximately 6 lakh litres, almost the same before Covid-19 struck the city in March, Umap said. The daily overall sales of alcohol in the state fell to ₹35 crore, from the average ₹38-40 crore.

“Beer is the leading selling item in wine shops. However, sales have fallen in the past six months ever since liquor shops opened in May. Our customers are avoiding chilled beer as it can lead to developing a cold, one of the symptoms of Covid-19,” said Arvind Miskin, president, association of progressive retail liquor vendors.

Customer said that they have stopped it for health reasons. “In Covid-19 days, we have been avoiding frozen and chilled items as it can lead to a cold,” said Satendra Chouhan, who works in a private firm.

Liquor has been one of the major sources of revenue for the state government. The state has been able to garner ₹6,024 crore as excise duty in sales of liquor from April 1 to October 23, 2020. This was one of the reasons the government allowed opening of liquor shops from May 4.