Team Herald
TALEIGAO: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar committed that the State government will extend its full support to the issues related to the feni industry.
“The initial important step of getting the Geographical Indication (GI) has been completed for cashew feni and the process to get the GI for coconut feni is on. Feni is a part of our tradition and we need to preserve our heritage and taking a step further, the Goa government will offer all its support and help in terms of financial and governance support,” the chief minister said while addressing about 200 feni stakeholders.
Parsekar recalled his childhood days when people offered him feni as medicine for nearly all ailments, cuts and burns but was not sure whether it actually helped him. “Maybe people were not trained enough and the tradition of using feni as a medicine is dying down with time,” he added.
The ‘Queen of Mixology’ and India’s first woman bartender Shatbhi Basu who is now a brand ambassador for American whiskeys in India joined the cause for promoting feni. “If Tequila, which is very similar to feni, can hit the global market as a brand, why not feni?” she asked and added, “we need to take ownerships and pride on what we have and our heritage should never be wasted. In the west there are very few factories which make liquor. Most of the best wines you get there are made in homes by applying traditional methods and most importantly, by using the skills and knowledge that has been passed on to their generation by elders”.
Basu added that getting a GI for feni will help the industry brand itself and the regulatory association can play a self-governance role for standardising the product and with the help of government the product can be spread out in global market. She also recalled how “accidentally and by error, she became a ‘liquid chef’ during her hotel management” study days.
Several ideas were shared during the stakeholders’ meet which included bringing out a coffee table book by connoisseurs of feni very soon. Stress was also laid on standardising the products by designing a standard operating procedure (SOP) in manufacturing of the product which shall be made mandatory for all feni makers throughout the state.
“This will ensure good quality product, irrespective of who is making the product,” said additional finance commissioner Michael D’Souza.
President of All Goa Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association Mac Vaz, while delivering his thank you note address, mentioned that the role of all stakeholders in the feni industry has now become very important as they all have to work together for the product for the benefit of the Goans.
