Panaji, March 16 (IANS): Feni, a traditional alcoholic drink distilled from the fermented juice of cashew apples, will be notified as the state heritage drink of Goa, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Wednesday.
In his budget speech in the legislative assembly, Parsekar said the BJP-led coalition government was in the process of formulating a policy for feni.
"Feni is unique to Goa and is the first alcoholic drink to obtain a GI (Geographical Indication). I propose to notify feni as a state heritage drink," he said.
Feni is distilled from fermented juice extracted from the cashew apple and is a popular alcoholic beverage in Goa. A similar process is also used to distill coconut feni from palm toddy.
"We are also in the process of formulating a feni policy, providing marketing support, price control, while also exempting VAT (Value Added Tax) for certain categories of cashew and coconut palm feni," Parsekar said.