KOCHI: Rum lovers in Kerala rejoice! The supply of the state-manufactured brown spirit is set to quadruple to 30,000 cases per day by Onam as Kerala looks to ramp up production. The government is on course to produce 15,000 cases per day of a new rum from its Malabar Distillery (MDL) in Chittoor. It will also increase production of its popular Jawan rum from 8,000 cases to 15,000 cases per day from Vishu. One case comprises 12 bottles.
Yogesh Gupta, MD of Kerala State Beverages Corporation Ltd (Bevco) told TNIE that work on the five production lines at the Chitoor distillery is progressing fast and production can be started by August.
“We are planning to produce a new brand of rum from MDL. Bottling line work has been tendered. We are also planning to start a winery in the distillery for tourists and make wine using cashew fruits. The distillery is spread over 86 acres, and we thought we could put it to better use while also helping cashew farmers as the fruit is mostly discarded after procuring raw nuts,” Gupta said.
Kerala is mostly a brown spirit market, with brandy being the favourite, having a market share of 45% to 50%, and rum in second spot.
Gupta said the demand for Jawan rum is robust and the capacity expansion in Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Limited (TSCL) distillery is almost complete. Bevco also plans to manufacture a premium version of the rum in the distillery. R Sanalkumar, a trade union leader at TSCL, said Jawan is an affordable, good-quality rum whose demand is high but supply is inadequate.
“The supply is queue-based. Many Bevco outlets run out of rums fast and remain without supply for days,” he said.At present, Kerala imports 5 crore litres of extra neutral alcohol (ENA), the raw material needed to produce liquor, from other states on an average every year. The government has asked the excise department to issue licences for ENA production in the state.
State makes just 20% of liquor it consumes
The government also aims to engage the cooperative sector for procuring fruits like cashew apples, pineapple and plantain, and allowing fruit-based wineries in the private sector. At present, Kerala produces only 20% of the liquor it consumes.
Besides meeting the demand, increasing liquor production can create jobs. The government is planning to produce beverages with low alcohol content from fruits and crops other than foodgrain. The aim is to promote agri and small-scale manufacturing sectors, rather than competing with major liquor makers.
A project to produce ethanol and other value-added products from tapioca is in the pipeline. The project will be taken up by the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram.