KOCHI: In a move to prevent the adulteration of toddy, the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology is geo-tagging coconut trees in Palakkad's Chittoor, considered the hub of the state's toddy production. Digital tagging helps identify individual trees from which the toddy has been sourced.
The university, also known as Digital University Kerala (DUK), also plans to tag the vehicles transporting the toddy, thereby ensuring that the product is not contaminated at any stage of its origin and supply chain -- from the tree top to the lip.
"We have geo-tagged close to a million trees and mapped them to the outlets via blockchain," Saji Gopinath, vice chancellor of DUK, told TNIE.
Now, a person enjoying a glass of toddy will be privy to information as to from where and which palms it has been sourced. Geo-tagging and mapping make it easy to track the source of a product. "And this, in turn, eliminates the possibility of the end-user getting an inferior product," the VC said.
Geo-tagging will also help provide more data. In the past, the only thing known was the total toddy produced and sold. "However, with geo-tagging, it has become possible to get a picture of productivity per tree. All the data is available online," Gopinath added. The possibility of toddy being tainted en route to shops can be eliminated by geo-tagging the vehicles, too, he said. There have been apprehensions regarding the purity of toddy being served in shops.
DUK has also helped streamline the Abkari auction process. This had always been a stressful exercise linked to shenanigans of all kinds. He said the platform developed by the university has helped improve the efficiency of the auction. "It has ridden the process of all its hassles," the VC said.