Mallya also plans feni
export
Sandesh Prabhudesai
20 August 2002
Vijay Mallya, India's one of the leading
liquor baron-turned politician, is planning to hit the
international market with Goa's world-famous Feni.
"Being a frequent visitor to Goa, I
am familiar with Feni. I know it has a potential to
hit the international market", states Mallya in a news
report appeared here in a local newspaper.
Mallya however is not the first liquor
seller who is experimenting on exports. Madame Rosa,
a local distiller, has already been doing it for the
last three years. "The response is very much encouraging",
says Mac Vaz of Madame Rosa from Saligao.
The ongoing efforts of Mallya's UB
group in this regard have also been confirmed by G Tiwari,
the local chief executive officer of the United Breweries,
one of the oldest beer manufacturing firm in the state.
The UB is presently conducting a research
on how to refine the fabulous drink of the country liquor,
made of both cashew apple and coconut toddy, but smells
quite strong. Mallya plans to make it smooth and acceptable
to western taste, while preserving its core identity.
Following cashew nuts, Goa's Feni is
a famous product that sells like hot cakes among the
millions of Indian and foreign tourists, who visit the
tiny coastal state. Besides distilling it for local
consumption, Feni is also being bottled in a pure as
well as blended form.
However, Real Distilleries is one firm
that exports Feni outside Goa, but only in Daman and
Diu, the former Portuguese colonies that were part of
Goa till 1987 as the union territory, even after liberation
in 1961.
Madam Rosa, which is bottling Goa's
famous Feni for the last 15 years, however exports it
to a few Gulf countries, England, Australia and Canada.
According to Vaz, the local drink is appreciated even
by the first-timers, besides those who have already
tasted it in Goa earlier.
Goa has 17 bottling units of Feni,
most of which cater to the needs of local consumption
and sale, except firms like Madame Rosa or Real Distilleries
who export it. With Mallya's UB group coming in, the
Goan Feni could now get a further boost in the international
market.
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