We’ll ensure there’s no infringement in brand equity of feni: Vaz

Cashew feni is a synonumous to ‘Goan spirits’. However, being tagged as country liquor, feni could not spread outside the State of Goa. Efforts are being made to change its nomenclature to ‘Heritage Liquor’. Mac Vaz explains to TEAM HERALD what strategies they have to re-brand it and make it available in the liquor shelves of other States in India and abroad.

HERALD: Why is the meeting of all stakeholders for the development of feni being held? Please elucidate.

MAC VAZ: This was initiated by the Goa’s Commissioner of excise, Michael D’Souza, who was responsible for the Geographical Indication (GI) for cashew feni. After being granted the GI status, we realised that the perception of feni had gone so good in the global market but we were still not able to do justice to the spirit within India. The challenge is to allow the entry of feni in other States in India as it is classified as a country liquor. Other States have a negative perception of country liquor. So through this meet, we will assert that this country liquor is different from the other country liquors as it is like a solitaire amongst the stones. Hence, we are planning to change the nomenclature and call it as ‘Heritage Liquor’ on the same lines as Rajasthan is promoting their ‘Royal liquors’. These are two ethnic spirits of India which have got global potential but have a negative perception in India.

HERALD: What are your immediate challenges in promotion of feni? What efforts are you making to overcome it?

MV: When we export in the global market we proudly call it country liquor because country liquor is a positive word abroad. Our biggest challenge is branding, just like the Americans had their mustang horses and we have our Marwari horses. We need to celebrate our culture and not try to ape them. So we have invited Shatbhi Basu who is a very proud swadeshi girl but she represents foreign liqour, which is American whiskey. So to motivate the stakeholders, we planned to bring her as a keynote speaker for our January 23 programme. It will be our endeavour to motivate the stakeholders to allow them to see how we can together work in tandem to change the equation and cut those few fringe elements who are spoiling the name of feni.

HERALD: Who are these fringe elements and where are the loopholes?

MV: To draw and equation, the fringe elements are in the political as well as religious circles and they are spoiling the name of feni per se as many a time, they compromise. So one of the key things which we are targeting is that those brands who are not maturing the spirit will not be allowed to use labels like ‘matured for ten years’ by the excise department.

HERALD: So what happens to the brands who are not maturing the feni?

MV: They will not be allowed to mention it on their labels. Similarly, lot of people label it as ‘export quality’ without exporting a brand. They are actually fooling the consumer. There are few people who are compromising in the quality and establish nexus between the shopkeepers and the tourist guides. The key is their margins. So the person who buys those products goes back with a negative feeling about the spirit and the bad word spreads faster than the good word.

HERALD: So how would you regulate it? What is the body/organisation that you all are setting up, its structure?

MV: We have got the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a partner, as one of the synergising organisations which will have different mechanism to ensure that there are no such infringement in the equity of feni. There will be a regular quality regulatory body to ensure that those who are trying to cut the goose which was laying golden eggs, are not allowed to bottle their brand. Cashew feni brand has to be laid out with cashew apple juice only and in the traditional ‘pot still’ method. In the recent past there has been lots of compromises on that and there is no assertion by the state authorities

We would like the support from all stakeholders just as the British government supports ‘Scotch’ and Sri Lankan government supports ‘arrack’. So, that is something which we expect to ensure that the endeavour to market feni abroad as ‘spirit of India’ becomes easier in western countries.

HERALD: What will be your role in this body? Will you be taking up a position on the regulatory body as well?

MV: For me, I am the President of the All Goa Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association. Yes, in the regulatory body, the Association will be one of the partners. Others which will be included in this body will be Agriculture Department, Department of Science and Technology, Food and Drug Administration and then we have Excise Department.