Major Japanese breweries are rushing to develop rain- and heat-resistant varieties of, and novel cultivation techniques for, barley and hops, the main ingredients of beer.
Such ingredients are no exception to the impact that climate change is seen having on many agricultural products, such as lower quality and reduced yields.
"It is possible that a can (of beer) will cost ¥800 or more in the future," an industry official said regarding worries over possible difficulties procuring ingredients due to abnormal weather. In such a case, "nobody would drink beer, and (the beer market) would continue to shrink."
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