Goa govt to regulate Feni trade

Panaji, Jan 27: To curb illegalities in Feni trade, the Goa government has decided to regulate the entire industry which will also benefit cashew farmers and distillers, a senior official said today.

"The government wants to promote brand Feni as it is our own product with medicinal and heritage value. But at the same time, we want to curb illegalities in this trade which is bringing bad name to the entire industry,"

Goa Excise Commissioner Menino D'Souza told PTI. The department has decided to implement stricter regulations which will help standardisation of this product, he said.

Feni has already got Global Indication (GI) which stops any other product outside Goa to be named as Feni or have nomenclature on similar lines. D'Souza said at a recent meeting, stakeholders, involved in the manufacturing of Feni, expressed the need to standardise the product.

"There are some mechanised units producing it (Feni) and also some brew Feni using traditional means. The standardisation will bring them at par.

The department will also be able to keep watch on the quality of Feni," he said. Feni is a spirit produced in Goa and made either from cashews or coconut. Officials said they were informed about some manufacturers mixing Feni with other spirits during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the official said that the state tourism department has already started promoting Feni as Goa's unique drink at various promotional events. "Government had hosted Cashew and Mango festivals last year, which were a huge success and Feni was also promoted during the festivals," he said.

The Goa government will also amend existing Goa, Daman and Diu Excise Act, 1964, which will classify Feni as a 'heritage drink', the officer said. Once Feni is classified as heritage drink, it will become costly outside Goa as it would fall in the Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bracket, he said.

PTI