Beer in Madagascar in 1902

Madagascar and beer. They aren't two things I'd usually associate with each other. Yet here we are.

It seems some beer was being shipped to Madagascar. Though, given its size, the quantities weren't really that large. Only around 2,500 Imperial barrels. To put that into context, the UK exported over 20,000 barrels to Malta annually.

The Beer Trade of Madagascar.
The quantity of beer annually imported into Madagascar is very considerable, the estimated quantity for the past year being about 4,000 hectols. (hectol. 22 imperial gallons). This total shows a marked increase over the figures for the two preceding years, viz., 2,000 and 3,000 hectols. in 1899 and 1900 respectively.

In the district of Diego Suarez there is an annual sale of about 20,000 bottles of beer. They are imported in cases containing 24 or 48 bottles, each bottle containing about 0.7 litres (1.23 pints). The retail price is from 1.25 francs to 1.50 francs per bottle, and is practically the same in the whole coast region for beer of French manufacture.

In the Province of Tamatave and the districts of Andovoranto and Vatomandry, the sales reach to about 150,000 bottles per annum. The retail price ranges from 1.25 francs to 1.50 francs per bottle for French beers, and from 1.75 francs to 2 francs for British or German beers.

About 120,000 bottles of French and German beers are annually sold in the Province of Majunga. German beer, although dearer in consequence of the Customs duty, sells well owing to its quality. The price of French beer is from 1.25 francs to 1.50 franca per bottle; that of German beer is about 2 francs per bottle.

With regard to the less important provinces, the yearly consumption of beer in the Province of Imerina amounts to about 200,000 bottles, in the Provinces of Ambositra and Botsileo about 30,000 bottles each, in the Cercle Tulear about 15,000 bottles, and in the Province of Nossi-Bé about 8,000 bottles of French beer, and 8,000 bottles of German beer from Hamburg and Bohemia.

It should be noted that French beers enter Madagascar free, and have to pay only the consumption duty of 10 centimes per bottle, or 5 francs per hectolitre when imported in casks. Foreign beers have to pay the same consumption duty as French beers, and in addition an import duty of 12 francs per 100 kiloms. gross.
The Brewers' Journal vol. 38 1902, March 15th 1902, page 124.

Interesting that the French didn't have a monopoly on beer imports. There was also a lot of German beer. Though some of the beer described as "German" was from Bohemia, which was actually German Austrian at the time. I assume that the French beer was Lager like the German stuff. I could be wrong.

If I knew what a franc was worth at the time, I could make some comments about the prices. But I don't, so we'll have to pass on that.