A number of branded and genuine feni makers are expecting huge growth in their sales this year thanks to better cashew crop and also their efforts to export cashew feni to other countries. Moreover, Excise Department has started regulating feni labelling, which will ensure that unscrupulous elements find it tough to operate in the market
Karan Sehgal
This is the time of the year, which cashew feni manufacturers and bottlers eagerly look forward to because the production of feni and urrak reaches its peak in the State. For most part between December and February, the weather remained stable, which resulted in better cashew crop this season than the previous one.
In fact, the first flowering of cashew crop happened in January itself and by the end of the month fruiting had also taken place. As a result, feni manufacturers could get urrak earlier than expected. This was followed by second flowering of crop in February.
The weather played a bit of spoilsport in March, as parts of Goa witnessed fog, which did affect third flowering to an extent. However, the industry said that fog in March is unlikely to adversely impact the overall production of cashew apples. As a result, they are expecting good growth this year in production of feni.
Hansel Vaz, Founder of Cazulo brand of feni, said, “So far cashew crop looks good and therefore we are expecting growth in feni manufacturing this season. The flowering of crop happened early, in January itself this year. By January end, fruiting had also happened and we started getting urrak in the beginning of February.”
The growth is expected to be more for branded feni makers because their standards are really high in terms of raw material, manufacturing process, packaging, labelling and etc. In fact, a number of branded players buy feni throughout the year to maintain high stocks to ensure that they supply feni next year even if the crop is affected. Gurudatta Bhakta, Managing Partner, Cazcar, said, “The excise department has cleaned up the system of labelling in feni market. Earlier people would write anything like ‘10 year old feni’ without any justification. Such malpractices have stopped now.”
Bhakta continued, “Thanks to the efforts of excise department, now only strength, brand name and content are written on feni bottles. There will be growth in feni market, but only for the genuine distillers and bottlers and not for unscrupulous elements.”
A number of other brands also confirmed that they were expecting decent growth in feni business thanks to better cashew crop this year than earlier. Regan Henriques, Owner, Rhea Distilleries, said, “Cashew crop looks good this time and the season from feni manufacturing viewpoint looks positive for us. We have got people, who supply us feni throughout the year. We are going to buy 20 to 30 percent more feni this year than the previous year.”
Branded feni manufacturers have also started to become really aggressive in terms of product’s sales. Some of them have ventured into exports, while others are working with distribution channels to promote cashew feni. Bhakta said, “We have moved to exports and we have already sent shipments to the US. Our feni will be sold in New York and Texas. The American market pays well and as a result we are expecting good growth. In the US, our feni will be used for cocktails and we are also advising people to have it on the rocks.”
Alcohol experts have also suggested that using feni in cocktails is a great idea to give a boost to its sales. If it does well in cocktails, it is likely to be a success story on the lines of tequila and vodka.
In fact, few brands are promoting feni cocktails even in Goa to attract younger consumers, who prefer other varieties of alcohol more like whiskey, rum and etc. Vaz said, “We are focusing on hotel industry so that hotels promote cashew feni as an alcohol.”
Henriques said, “We are telling restaurants to incorporate the name of our feni brand ‘Fidalgo Premium’ in their menus so that consumers have a brand recall. Famous restaurant, ‘O Coqueiro’, is using our feni in their cocktails.”
The industry is also working with farmers so that they grow different varieties of cashew crop. The idea is to increase the yield and thereby provide a better return to farmers as well as feni makers.
Vaz said, “We are advising farmers to grow more than one variety of cashews. I have been telling farmers to grow Vengurla variety of cashew as well along with Goan variety of cashew. If you grow two varieties, flowering happens at different points in times and you don’t depend for your yield on only one variety.”
Such efforts have to be taken up at a much larger level because a lot of farmers in the State still don’t go for any other variety of cashews apart from the traditional variety. Any kind of diversification by growing several varieties will only de-risk farming.
Although the outlook for cashew crop looks positive overall, but there were few areas in the State, which weren’t very optimistic about the yield of cashew crop this season. Geetesh Velip, feni manufacturer from Kazur in Quepem taluka, said, “The season is average, neither too good nor too bad. As a result of dew, the production of cashew apples declined to an extent in our area. We are in a hilly area, where temperature is lower and cashew crop needs heat.”
Few parts of Goa may see a decline in production of cashew crop due to colder climate, but most parts of the State saw higher temperatures, which will ensure that yield is better and feni production is higher.
Feni makers expect sales to be high this year
The weather remained stable between December and February, which resulted in better cashew crop this season than the previous one
Some parts of the State witnessed fog in March, which could affect third flowering to an extent. But, it is unlikely to have an adverse impact on overall feni manufacturing
The growth is expected to be more for branded feni makers because their standards are really high in terms of raw material, manufacturing process, packaging, labelling and etc
Cazcar has started exporting its feni to the US, where it will be sold in New York and Texas
Cazulo brand is working with farmers and advising them to go for more than one variety of cashew crop to de-risk farming
Excise Dept has cleaned up labelling malpractices in feni market by ensuring that unscrupulous elements don’t write unsubstantiated claims on the bottles
