International brewer SABMiller reported a rise in third-quarter sales despite ongoing weakness in China due to poor weather last year. The maker of beers such as Peroni and Grolsch, and part owner of the largest beer in China, saw a 4 percent rise in revenue for the quarter, ended Dec. 31. Volume, which measures the amount of beer sold, fell 1 percent for lager and rose 4 percent for soft drinks. SABMiller sells its own soft drinks in some regions including Latin America and sells Coca-Cola soft drinks in Africa. "Our Latin America and Africa businesses continued to grow both volumes and revenues, together with Europe, while more difficult trading conditions, particularly in China, held back the overall group performance," Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark said. In China, revenue fell 7 percent as volume fell 9 percent, with double-digit declines in the northeast and central provinces. The company cited continuing impact from unusually poor weather there which also hurt profit in the second quarter. (Reuters)