PANAJI
: In a bid to take the local spirit to a new high, rebrand it as heritage spirit and boost its acceptance nationally and internationally, the
committee
constituted under the commissioner of excise Menino D’Souza, has recommended setting up a recognised agency for verifying and
accrediting feni
.
The road map prepared by the committee, which comprises representatives from departments of agriculture, tourism, food and drugs administration, health services as well as Goa cashew feni distillers and bottlers association, suggested that the agency would authenticate the maturity of both cashew and coconut
feni
.
The recommendations would be submitted to the government next week. “This is an action plan that everyone on the committee has come to a consensus on. We need the government's backing and support. This will be the best thing to happen to feni,” said one of the stakeholders.
At present, there is no defined mechanism in place to certify the maturity of feni. The committee also recommended that a set range with minimum and maximum limits of strength of feni be prescribed and distillers use the Grav Hydrometer and bottlers the Gay Lusaac Alchometer.
The authority would also certify the purity of feni and urrac, which would prevent illegal sale of spurious liquor.
According to the committee’s other recommendations, successful bidders for developing feni would not be able to sublet distillation rights to individuals and all distillers and bidders would be required to maintain proper transport permits. Proper paperwork should be scrupulously maintained with regard to production, transport and sale of feni by bottlers and distillers.
Stating that feni had been considered as country liquor and branded as poor man’s drink, the committee said that it is the need of the hour to declare feni as the heritage spirit of Goa and all states be sensitised on this high quality spirit. The committee added that feni distillation tours during season organised in collaboration with tourism department would help promote feni and provide additional income to traditional distillers.
Committee members also called for Geographical Indication (GI) registration for coconut feni. Cashew feni was registered as GI under the Geographical Indication Act 1999 on May 23, 2009. It was Goa’s first GI and the only Indian beverage to have obtained a GI status. The committee is pushing for GI registration for coconut feni to augment the market power and create more financial opportunities for those involved in the process.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.
Start a Conversation
Post comment