Afdis consolidation and product price reviews spurs Delta's income Harare- Delta beverages which is Zimbabwe’s top beverages producer, has reported that income for the first 3 months period of the 2020 financial year is up by 92% over the comparable period last year. The income from the current year however reflects the changes in currency between the 2 comparable periods, that is 2018 and 2019 from USD to ZWD. Delta has since February 2019, adjusted pricing across its product range in line with fundamentals and currency considerations. Given that most business segments, particularly lager and sparkling beverages realised a dearth in demand with volumes easing by it follows that growth in income reflects price adjustments effected in the current year. Presently a lager offering retails at $5.25 in most retail outlets which compares to an average of $0.90 a year ago, a price gain of 500%. For the sparkling beverages, a 330 RGB presently retails at circa $2.25 up from $0.50 a year ago. The prices from a year ago should however be treated as denominated in USD. Delta said lager and sparkling beverages volumes eased by 57% and 79% respectively reflecting tightening demand and affordability challenges as incomes erode and average prices increase in the economy. Consumer down-trading in a bid to preserve value has become the order as reflected by the resilience in the sorghum beer offering. Sorghum beer volumes grew by 2% in the quarter against the same period last year. Sorghum beer volumes driven by the Chibuku Super offering, have consistently gone up over the past 4 years and the group is set to construct an additional plant in the current financial year. The growth in revenue for the quarter also factors the consolidation of Afdis, which is now majority owned by Delta after the later increased its shareholding in the past financial year, through acquisition of a stake formerly held by Distel. HARARE