Lager lovers in emerging markets have boosted beer volumes at SABMiller helping to offset further declines for the world's second-biggest brewer by sales in America and Australia. The company reported a 4% rise in larger volumes for the six months to end September, compared with the same period last year bolstered by thirsty drinkers in Asia and Africa. However, in the US, sales by its Miller-Coors unit dropped by nearly 2%, led by declines in the company's low-calorie "Lite" beer portfolio. The US unit has suffered as the country's economical downturn has hit its core blue-collar customers. In Africa, volumes grew 6% year-on-year, in spite of an 8% decline in Tanzania due to an increase in government excise duty. The Asia-Pacific region grew 5% bolstered by a 23% rise in India and a 4% rise in China, helped by sales of the Beijing-based beer "Snow," the world's biggest selling beer by volume. That helped compensate for a 13% drop in lager volumes in Australia following SAB's acquisition of Foster's in 2011 in a deal worth A$11.5BN.
