Worldwide scarcity of malt and hops means price rises are on the way for German beer, both in Germany and in its principal export market, Italy, a national breweries leader warned Tuesday. In all, about 15 per cent of German-brewed beer is drunk abroad, with export growth partly making up for declining sales in Germany. Gerhard Ilgenfritz, president of the private brewer's federation, said the brewery-gate price of a 24-bottle crate was likely to rise 1.00 to 1.10 euros (1.46 to 1.60 dollars) at the start of 2008.