FOCUS ON… 18 October 2023 Malteurop expands into the Mexican market Located in the state of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico, the Meoqui malt house was inaugurated on 18 October 2023 in the presence of the French ambassador to Mexico, the authorities of Chihuahua, and the Group’s customers, partners and employees involved in BARLEY: THE CROP the project. With a capacity of 120,000 tonnes of malt per year, the OF THE FUTURE plant will help Malteurop’s efforts to win new business in Mexico with a virtuous process from grain to glass. or the Managing Director of site will help meet the needs of local For three years preceding Malteurop, Olivier Hautin, “this brewers on a fast-growing market that is the opening of the Meoqui F malting plant is the culmination of suffering from a shortage of malt capacity. malt house, Malteurop tied almost four years’ work since the initial With 8% growth in 2022, Mexico is one of strong partnerships with local discussions with local farmers, through the the biggest beer markets in the world. farmers to incentivise the dif昀椀culties related to the COVID pandemic, production of malting barley. to the successful start-up of the malting From barley to beer: a virtuous Barley is a strategic ingredient plant in the summer of 2023, when the circle for the production of malt – 昀椀rst batches of malt were produced. This and by extension beer — but project illustrates Malteurop’s unique and there was very little grown in As well as the construction of a malting well-established capacity to develop new plant, this project involved the creation this part of Mexico. Malteurop industrial projects throughout the world.” of a 100%-local supply chain to produce identi昀椀ed the barley varieties malting barley in partnership with best suited to the local climate The first investment in Mexico by 500 local farmers. “Without our teams’ and soil in each part of the a malt producer. agronomic expertise and knowledge of barley region and provided training varieties, it would not have been possible to to local farmers on good agro- Representing a total investment of €112 set up this supply chain,” recalls Christoph ecological and low-carbon farming practices. Büren, President of VIVESCIA Group million, this was the 昀椀rst investment by a maltster in Mexico. With an annual “This virtuous local ecosystem is an extension capacity of 120,000 tonnes of malt, this of VIVESCIA’s original cooperative model.” 62