Murray Wood: A special Grey Cup edition of who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week, Wood is pre...
The Government of Saskatchewan is changing its levy structure and raising the production limit that allows companies to qualify as craft beverage producers.
The limit for refreshment beverage producers to qualify as craft producers is going up from 350,000 litres to 3,000,000 litres, the government announced on Friday. According to The Measure of Things website, that new volume limit would overflow an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Additionally, the production levels associated with each levy rate under the limit are going up, in order to “create a more gradual ramp for craft refreshment beverage producers” as they expand and produce greater quantities.
Read more:
- Spirits are high for Sask. distillers as support for local products grows
- Better Brother Brewing Co. empowers women to learn about craft beer
- Sober sips: Sask. brewery redefining dry January with non-alcoholic beers
Alana Ross, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), said many consumers are seeking out craft beverages, and the government wants to ensure the industry is treated fairly.
“Refreshment beverages such as hard seltzers and iced teas have become increasingly popular in recent years, with craft producers providing more choice for consumers than ever before,” Ross said in a statement.
“Modernizing our approach reflects this change and better aligns the refreshment beverage category with how other product categories are treated under the craft production levy system.”
The changes took effect on Nov. 1, the provincial government said, and industry stakeholders have already been notified of the new rules.
Levies are based on the volume of each product category produced, the government explained, and the production levy is remitted to SLGA by companies that distribute their products themselves rather than going through SLGA’s warehouses.
“In addition to refreshment beverages, there are separate production levy structures for beer, spirits, wine and cider that each have separate production volume limits for qualifying as a craft producer,” the provincial government noted.
The changes took effect on Nov. 1, the provincial government said, and industry stakeholders have already been notified of the new rules. (Government of Saskatchewan/Submitted)
