Features
As Feni prices double, stakeholders in Goa fear sale of spurious or artificial products
PANAJI: Tipplers in Goa are a worried lot and it is not just the rising prices of petrol, diesel or cooking gas that is bothering them.
Goa’s heritage brew, Feni, which has a GI or Geographical Indicator, has become dearer for the average Goan, with its cost rising from Rs 4,000 per can (35 litres) to Rs 7,000 to 8,000, more than double, claims an IANS news report.
Manufacturers and stakeholders have expressed fear that miscreants may start a making spurious and artificial versions of the popular drink using artificial ingredients, chemical flavouring and industrial alcohol.
Feni, the most popular local drink of the coastal state, along with Urrak was notified as a state heritage drink by the Goa government in 2016.
While Cashew Feni is more popular, Feni is also prepared from Coconut.
The Cashew Feni from Goa is also the country’s first indigenous liquor to obtain a Geographical Indication tag, a process which was initiated by local Goan manufacturers of the brew in 2009 to ensure that its traditional manufacturing process was not replicated in other parts of the country or diluted by mass manufacturing.
According to local manufacturers, an unprecedented drop in cashew production in Goa due to unseasonal rains last season, has in turn affected the production of Cashew Feni.
“We were expecting the price of Cashew Feni may be hiked by 20 to 30 per cent. But to our surprise, it has almost doubled compared to last year. Now Feni producers are charging Rs 7,000 to 8,000 for a single can of 35 litres. This rate will remain constant till the next production is done,” Shailesh Naik, a retailer, told IANS.
The increased rate has also fuelled fear of spurious versions of the traditional brew, which is one of the cheapest drinks in Goa.
‘Urrak’ is obtained from the single distillation process or first distillate, while once double distilled, the drink is referred to as Feni.
Urrak, a seasonal drink containing alcohol, is consumed with lime juice and is very popular in local bars and taverns. Feni is also blended with spices like clove, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon to make another variation called ‘masala Feni’, though the original double distillate is most popular.
Speaking to IANS, Mac Vaz, founder-president of Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association, said that the price hike is due to bad crop yield, which has been caused by the unseasonal erratic rains.
“But the main concern is not the escalated price of Feni. We fear that some stakeholders might try to fill in the shortfall by making spurious versions of the drink,” said Vaz, who is also an exporter and bottler of the popular Feni brand, ‘Big Boss’.
He also said that the increased rate will impact the Feni manufacturing industry.
Abhay Khedekar, a Feni manufacturer, said that prices have gone up as the production of Feni is almost half this season.
“There is a lot of demand for Feni from local retailers, particularly during the monsoon,” he said.