Arunachal Pradesh today earned the distinction of a wine producing state with the launch of 'Arun Kiwi Wine,' a brand produced Pune-based Hill Crest Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd after inking a MoU with Arunachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Board (APHPM&PB).
"A good beginning for the state which has immense potential in horticulture," commented Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, while formally launching the product in the state.
The APHPM&PB had signed the MoU with the company on December 2013. The product was initially launched at Pune in September last year. The brand name bears the name of Arunachal Pradesh, the largest kiwi fruit producing state in the country.
Kiwi fruits cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh are of high aroma and flavour, thus producing a very crisp and fresh kiwi wine.
"After a few years we should be in a position to exporting Arun Kiwi," Tuki exuded hope and advocated for popularising the product through publicity saying increase in sale of the product would indirectly help kiwi farmers.
Terming the venture as a source of sustainable development, he said through such ventures, every family would be able to earn handsomely and stressed on the need for framing a wine policy for the state.
Stating that fruit wine could be a money spinner for the state with innumerable horticulture potential, the Chief Minister advocated for organising workshop on fruit wine in other parts of the country to attract market linkages.
Terming the occasion as 'historic', state Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Chowna Mein said a green revolution has already started in the state with many youths embarking on horticulture and agriculture farming.
Mein appreciated progressive rubber planter Likha Maj who was also present on the occasion and termed him as the pioneer in kiwi cultivation in the state.
Maj had initiated kiwi cultivation at Joram Top in Lower Subansiri district in 1999. Since 2001, cultivation of kiwi in the state was started on mission mode.
The minister also suggested the authorities of Hill Crest Foods and Beverages to reduce the percentage of alcohol in the product, which was presently 12 per cent.
Rhythm Winery, a part of the Hill Crest Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd, was sourcing over 2.5 tonnes of kiwi fruits from Arunachal for brewing the wine.
According to the MoU, revenue from this business would go to the APHPM&PB, while Rhythm Winery was only a service provider working on project basis.
The state government had financed the full cost of the project.
