Mac Vaz, the Feni King of Goa, speaks of his tryst with this local aromatic drink that is hoping to rub shoulders with foreign liqueur
Team Goan: Goa received a GI (geographical indication) forits local drink in 2009, resulting in the hopes of an increase in sales and aspot on the global platform. Has it happened or has the euphoria disappearedleaving the local distillers disillusioned?
Mac Vaz: It was a ‘we’ effort. This ‘we’ includes thegovernment. It’s an old story now we now need to raise the bar and lot ofeffort is required by all thestakeholders along with the state.
TG: What is the fate of Feni?
MV: It’s a long journey that requires vision and effectiveimplementation without losing track that the beneficiaries have to be the smallfarmers and distillers who are the core quotient of the stakeholders. Theproblem is the dwindling harvest. Though Goa is the biggest state in terms ofarea under cashew plantation, the output is dwindling in spite of the wellintentioned schemes of the concerned departments. It is a similar scenario withcoconut toddy.
TG: Are there any challenges in promoting Feni?
MV: The stakeholder base is large and since it is a seasonaloccupation for the farmers and distillers, mobilising and convincing thestakeholders on the vision and its potential is a challenge. To add to this youhave individuals motives, some of which are not complementary.
TG: Is the future of Feni sure and secure?
MV: Now with neighbouring states contemplating in making analcoholic beverage of the cashew apple, it feels nice to be vindicated afterall the cynics and skeptics had initially questioned my company’s initiative tomake the first move towards GI registration. I am glad that we first secured aprotective wall around the brand and potential of brand Feni. Today Goa can beassured that even if anybody else makes an alcoholic beverage of the cashewapple or coconut toddy they will not be legally allowed to call it Feni.
TG: Will Feni lose the battle?
MV: I believe in the proverbial saying ‘to have goodneighbours you need to have good fences’. Alternatively you end up in asituation like the Indo-China border or in GI terms the Basmati rice issuewhere ambiguities are taken as an advantage by the stronger force. Anotherchallenge we are facing is with regard to the confidence we have in ourtraditional assets. We need to first ourselves believe that Feni can standshoulder to shoulder with the Cognacs and Tequila’s of the world.
TG: Why is Feni not given its due importance in five-starculture?
MV: The problem with most of us Indians is that we do notappreciate the potential of our traditional assets and if and when we do it isonly after the west has acknowledged or infringed on them. Look at the exampleof Ayurveda, Yoga and Basmati.
