Aizawl: Mizoram’s Hnahlan and Champhai Grape Growers Society expressed grave concern over their low sell of the locally brewed grape wine Zawlaidi.
Members of Hnahlan Grape Grower Society said, they have so far sold 37 thousand 8 hundred bottles out of 2 lakh bottles produced by them in this season. They also said, they cannot make payment to the farmers for procurement of their grape in the last harvest season.
Meanwhile, geberal secretary of Champhai Grape Growers Society R Thangseia said that their sale till today is only 6960 bottles out of their total production of 1 lakh 5 thousand bottles.
He also said, their due of Rs 55 lakh for procurement of the grapes from the farmers is yet to be cleared. The low sale is attributed to high rate of VAT and Excise duties which raised the retail price to over 190 rupees per bottle and reduction of its alcoholic content from 14 percent to 11 percent on the directive of the Church.
During the year 2010, Mizoram after 13 years of prohibiting grape cultivators from producing wine has brought out Zawlaidi, a locally manufactured grape wine, thanks to the amendment of MLTP Act 1997 in 2007.
The enthusiasm of the grape farmers has been fuelled by the amendment of the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition (MLTP) Act.
The Act had earlier prevented them from large-scale commercialisation of their products and wine-making from grapes. (NNN)
