Distillers call for government support to help feni go international on par with vodka, sake

Feni distillers in Goa on Thursday requested the Goa government for insititutional support to market the indigenous alcohol brewed from fermented cashew apple juice internationally, on par with Russian vodka and Japanese sake.

The Goa Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association also sought subsidies from the state government in order to boost and streamline production of the cashew fruit in the state, which the association's Secretary Hansel Vaz said would also help afforestation of bald hillocks and barren areas in the state.

"It should be standard product like scotch, champagne... Like Mexico's tequila, Russian vodka and Japan's sake, we need to export our feni across the country and the world and the local distillers should also benefit economically," Vaz told a press conference in Panaji.

Feni is one of the most popular indigenous alcohols in Goa, which is extracted from the fermented distilled juice of cashew apples. Feni also has a geographical indication tag which is owned by the Goa government's Science and Technology department and the Association. Feni was first manufactured in Goa in the 1600s, after the Portuguese imported the cashew plant from Brazil to India. There are currently 26 varieties of feni manufactured in Goa.

While feni was earlier branded as a "country liquor", it was upgraded to a state heritage spirit some years back. Earlier this year, the state government announced a special policy to promote the feni industry. But a lot more needs to be done to boost the industry in a holistic way, treasurer of the Association Tukaram Haldankar said.

"We request the government to allow sale of feni in duty-free stores in airports and cruiserliner terminals. The government should also support us through Department of Tourism, so that feni can be promoted in its programmes. If you go to Scotland, they promote Scotch. Goa should promote its feni to Goa," he said.

"We also need to standardise the processes of feni production, which would require another set of subsidies and financial assistance from the government. The subsidies and financial assistance would help put feni on par with internationally celeberated alcohols," Haldankar also said.

Check out latest DH videos here