Keralites fond of Feni travel to Goa or wait for an opportunity to enjoy their indigenous beverage. Here’s happy news for all those who have and haven’t tried feni; Kerala is all set to produce its own feni. We as Malayalis can now proudly say, “Angu Goa yil mathramalleda, ingu Keralathilum undeda feni” (Not just in Goa, Kerala too has feni).
Kerala’s feni will be based in Kannur. The approval to set up the first plant came after the proposal to produce feni from cashew that was submitted 31 years ago. Payyavoor Service Cooperative Bank is the body that approached the Government and was given the final permit on June 30th. This is the first time in the history of Kerala that a cooperative society is permitted to produce liquor. The production process is expected to start by next December.
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As per the project report submitted by the bank, the venture is expected to bear profits for both the government and the farmers. According to the reports, the production cost of a litre of feni is expected to be Rs. 200, which will be sold to the Kerala State Beverages Corporation. it will then be resold to the public at Rs. 500.
T.M. Joshy, President of Payyavoor Service Co-op Bank, had submitted the request to set up a unit when he was the Panchayath President in 1991. He believes that this initiative can be a huge benefit for the farmers to earn from both cashew apples and cashew nuts simultaneously. The detailed project report was submitted to Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala in 2016.
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