Delta Corporation has announced a 61% rise in profit after tax to 
RTGS$143.2 million for the year to March 2019, from the prior comparable period.

The improved profitability came on the back of growth in beer volumes.

Delta’s revenue increased 26 percent to RTGS$722.4 million.

Management said sales for its entire product range were positive in the first nine months of the year, but there was a decline in the last quarter due to supply as well as pricing challenges.

Lager beer sales were up 31 percent on prior year, mostly  driven by growth in Zambezi Lager and Castle Lite sales.

Sorghum beer volumes were up on prior year by five percent as demand  remained firm, outstripping supply.
 
“The demand for Super Chibuku exceeded the installed production  capacity,” said Delta Corporation chairman Canaan Dube in a statement accompanying the results.

“There are plans to build a modern brewery at a new site in Rusape in  the coming year.”

Soft drinks sales were however down 44 percent due to production problems.

“The division was adversely affected by severe foreign currency  constraints particularly after the monetary policies of October,  2018,” added the chairman.
 
“The division was virtually closed in the last quarter of the year due  to critical raw material outages.”

The board declared a total dividend of 14 cents per share for the year.