Made-in Uttar Pradesh alcohol, which is extremely popular within the country, seems to be in high demand in the overseas market as well. The demand for bottled liquor that is exported out of the state to foreign destinations has grown significantly during the year 2022-23, as per IANS report.

 

The excise department released provisional figures which showed that the demand for bottled UP-based liquor brands has increased at least 23 per cent between April 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, as compared to the previous fiscal year.

 

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, a total of 7.74 lakh cases of alcoholic beverages were sold abroad and during the nine-month period of the FY 2022-23, the state has already exported 9.48 lakh cases.

 

Though the sale volume for UP-made liquor in the last quarter (January to March 2023) is yet to be compiled, the final figures are expected to be much higher, added the IANS report.

 

Mohan Meakin and Radico Khaita create demand globally

 

About more than two dozen different IMFL (India-made foreign liquor) companies are present in Uttar Pradesh. But only Mohan Meakin and Radico Khaitan have been able to create demand for their brands internationally.

 

The dark rum produced by Mohan Meakin in Ghaziabad continues to be the hot seller internationally, said officials concerned.

 

'Of late, the demand for Indian single malt and craft gin has also picked up. The two premium products are produced in Rampur by Radico Khaitan,' said a senior officer from the department, as quoted by IANS.

 

For the past six years, barring the pandemic-induced slowdown, the two companies have been recording steady growth in the business and are catering to 38 countries. They have operations in other states as well and could be exporting more brands.

 

Dark Rum, premium products in demand in THESE countries

 

Popular dark rum and premium products have demand in developed countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, and Oman among others.

 

Least developed countries, including Congo, Liberia, Zambia, Djibouti in Africa, and Haiti in the Caribbean also procure affordable and cheap IMFL brands from Uttar Pradesh.

 

Excise Commissioner Senthil C. Pandian, meanwhile, said that handholding sessions for other liquor manufacturers will be organised in the coming months to improve the business prospects.

 

'We are going to create awareness over the procedure that needs to be followed while exporting liquor products. We have observed that both premium, mid-range, and affordable products are being sold internationally but the quality required in the various international markets needs to be maintained,' said Pandian as quoted by IANS.

 

The government has cleared nearly 1.06 million-tonne of grains, including wheat and rice, for export under the country’s diplomatic food assistance programme to four countries while an overall ban on wheat shipments out of the country and curbs on rice export will continue, an official said on Tuesday, requesting anonymity.

 

India banned wheat export in May 2022 and introduced a 20% tariff on that of non-basmati rice in August 2022 to shore up domestic supplies and control prices after poor harvests. It also banned the export of broken rice, which is a key ingredient of cattle feed.

 

The ban exempted grain export for countries that request India for shipments to overcome shortages. At that time, food minister Piyush Goyal said although India was not a major exporter of wheat, it would supply to 'friendly countries facing a food crisis'.

 

The food ministry has cleared over 300,000-tonne of wheat shipments to Nepal, 200,000-tonne of broken rice to Indonesia, 500,000-tonne of broken rice to Senegal, and 50,000-tonne of broken rice to Gambia after discussions with the external affairs ministry under humanitarian food assistance.

 

The country curbed grain exports after a heatwave plunged federally-held wheat reserves to a 14-year low last year. This year, the Food Corporation of India has purchased nearly 27 million of wheat for state-owned stockpiles, short of a targeted 34 million tonne.

 

Under the World Trade Agreement rules, India cannot export publicly held grains intended for domestic welfare schemes. Food exports from government stocks can be exported only for humanitarian assistance through diplomatic channels.

 

Last year, despite India’s ban, requests for food shipments were received from over a dozen countries as a global food crisis triggered by the Ukraine war crimped availability, pushing up prices. 'Outbound shipments had gone to Bangladesh, Oman, UAE, and Afghanistan among others with an undertaking by their governments that Indian wheat should be used for their own consumption and not trade or exports,' the official cited above said.

 

Unlike wheat, India is a major exporter of rice. In 2021-22, the country exported nearly 22 million-tonne of rice, about a sixth of its total output. India accounts for 40% of the world’s rice shipments.

 

The government procures, or purchases, cereals at minimum support prices, which are then distributed to nearly 800 million beneficiaries through the public distribution system (PDS) under the National Food Security Act.

 

According to the food ministry’s calculations, the government will require 18.5 million-tonne of cereals for distribution under PDS and other welfare schemes, leaving it with a surplus of nearly 8.6 million-tonne.

 

Official figures released on May 26 showed the government procured 52.06 million-tonne of rice during the kharif marketing season (2022-23) at minimum support prices, resulting in a payout of Rs.1.6 lakh crore to over 10 million farmers.

Amid expectations of a bumper mango production of nearly 3.5 million tonnes (mt) in Uttar Pradesh, the state mango exporters are gearing up for shipments to the Gulf. Exports are also expected to European countries, Mango Growers Association of India President Insram Ali said.

 

Traditionally, UP mango is exported to the Gulf apart from shipments to a few South East Asian countries viz. Malaysia, Singapore from South India.

 

Mango shipments are likely to begin after the first week of June.

 

If the inclement weather including hailstorms and the unseasonal rainfall had not played a truant with plantations, the state’s mango output, especially Dussehri, could have touched 5 mt in the season.

 

'The flowering of the mango crop was robust, but the adverse weather played a spoilsport. Yet, we are expecting the production to touch 3.5 mt this year,' he added.

 

Apart from the flagship Dussehri variety, other UP mango varieties include Langda, Chausa, Amprapali and Mallika. Dussehri forms the bulk of the state mango exports owing to its sweet taste and lilting aroma.

 

Meanwhile, Western UP-based Shahnaz Exports Promoter Nadeem Siddiqui said mango shipments would mainly head to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. 'We have received bulk orders from the Gulf markets, and now it is for the exporters to fulfill them within the stipulated time frame.'

 

However, he lamented that the frequency of flight from Lucknow to the Gulf has come down, hampering the state mango export potential.

 

Meanwhile, Ali demanded that the government allow the setting up of mango-based food processing industries, such as pickles, juice etc, in Lucknow Dussehri belt to incentivise farmers and create a sustainable value chain.

 

'The state government should promote tourism in the mango belts and allow setting up of hotels in the larger interests of the beleaguered farmers,' he added.

India’s sugar production is projected to increase by 4 million tonnes (mt) to 36 mt in 2023-34 season (October 2023-September 2024), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said.  But the output could be affected in the case of El Niño turning out to be a strong event in Asia, say analysts.

 

'India’s production is estimated up 4 mt to 36 mt on higher sugarcane area and yields. Consumption is anticipated to be up on increased demand from bulk buyers and processed food manufacturers,' the USDA said in its bi-annual 'Sugar: World Markets and Trade' report. 

 

India’s sugar production in the 2022-23 season has been estimated at 32.8 mt, down from 3.8 mt last season, by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), a body of private mills. The output was initially estimated over 36 mt. 

 

Impact in 2015-16  

This season, India’s sugar production was affected by unseasonal rains affecting production in Maharashtra and Karnataka. ISMA will likely come up with its projections on 2023-24 sugar production in July. 

 

Research agency BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions, said in India, on an average, a climatic shift to El Niño brings about below-average precipitation levels during monsoon season. This is not always the case, though, it said. 'Looking at India’s sugar output during a strong El Niño 2015-16, domestic production declined sharply, falling by around 10 per cent,' BMI said. 

 

Similarly, output was hampered in other important Asian markets, including Thailand, where output was also curbed by approximately 10 per cent during the last strong El Niño, it said, noting that a transition to El Niño could have significant consequences for major sugar-producing countries.   

 

Global output seen up 

Tarun Sawhney, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd, said El Nino might have some impact. 'But from a sugar perspective, I think we will still have surplus sugar in the country. We will have enough sugarcane to meet the ethanol blending programme and we will have surpluses,' he told businessline. Triveni Engineering owns seven sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh. 

 

The USDA in its report said global sugar production is forecast up 10.6 mt at 187.9 mt with higher production in Brazil and India more than offsetting a decline in Russia.

 

International sugar broking firm Czarnikov’s portal Czapp has projected the commodity’s production next season at 178.8 mt. This is lower than its April estimates as it expects El Nino to affect the crop in Thailand. 

 

BMI forecasts that if weather conditions are favourable, there could be a 6.9 mt sugar surplus in 2023-24. However, during the 2015-16 El Niño, global production contracted by 7.1  per cent year-on-year, which applied to its 2023-24 production figures, would suggest that global production balance forecasts will swing from a surplus to a deficit. 

 

Rising consumption

One of the fears as regards the 2023-24 season is increasing consumption and demand-supply balance. The USDA has projected global demand rising to 180.04 mt. This will leave ending stocks at 33.45 mt. Czapp sees consumption outstripping supply at 178.9 mt.

 

Indian demand is projected to top 31 mt by USDA, while it may export 7 mt against 6.1 mt this year. 'Exports are expected to rise only slightly on the likelihood that the government maintains export caps to control inflation,' it said.  

 

In 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, India capped sugar exports to ensure ample supply in the domestic market. In 2021-22, exports were capped at 10 mt, though eventually 11.2 mt were shipped out. This season, exports were capped at 6 mt. 'If India does not export sugar next season, global prices could go up substantially,' said Sawhney. 

 

Harvest may be hit

BMI said, 'Looking at Brazil, while an El Niño event would typically lead to increased rainfall in the world’s largest producer, as it did in 2015-16, heavy rain will delay the progress of the country’s harvest, which runs from May to December.'

 

However, as yet, the strength of the looming El Niño remains unclear, and much will depend on the severity of it, the research agency said. 'Should it be a strong El Niño, we expect global production to be further constrained and concerns to grow over global supply, ensuring that prices find further support,' BMI said.

The Telangana Government has asked the farmers to advance sowings in both kharif and rabi seasons by 3-4 weeks so that they do not face problems due to untimely rains or hailstorms during the harvest time.

 

It is probably the first State to consider advancing sowing of paddy on the heels of climate change affecting agricultural production.

 

Recently, the Telangana Cabinet recently set up a sub-committee headed by Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy to study the feasibility and come out with a set of recommendations on how to go about it. This, perhaps, is first such attempt by any State government in the country to attempt to advance the sowing seasons.

 

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao reiterated the suggestion to advance sowing at the District Collectors’ meeting held in Hyderabad on Thursday.

 

'The sowing process must be completed between May 25 to June 25. Similarly, the rabi sowings should be started by November 15 and competed in the following 2-3 weeks,' he said.

 

This, in turn, would help advance the harvesting seasons by a month. 'It would help the farmers protect themselves from untimely rains and hailstorms during the harvesting period, causing heavy losses,' the Chief Minister said.

 

State’s choice

Official sources in New Delhi said States are free to decide on sowing of crops as agriculture is a State subject. However, Punjab and Haryana have banned sowing of paddy before June 1 in order to ensure that farmers do not exhaust depleted groundwater resources.

 

Analysts, on the other hand, see this as a political move so that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) party will not be in trouble in case rains or floods affect paddy crop when the North-East monsoon sets in during October.

 

Elections to the Telangana Assembly are scheduled during the year-end. Another political angle to it is that in case Telangana faces problems again in the procurement of rice by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), BRS can play it up during elections, analysts said. Last year, Telangana faced problems in rice procurement as the Centre said it would not buy parboiled rice from the State.

 

Irrigation the key

'It is good if the sowing is advanced before the monsoon arrives, provided the land has irrigation facilities for the germination of seeds. It has been observed that in many years, the later part of the season gets drier compared to the initial period. In the event of sowing in July, the crop does not get water in the later part of the season in the rainfed area,' said a senior rice breeder at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

 

Just advancing the sowing period will not help. It must be accompanied by better technology. 'For instance, CR 801 and CR 802 are paddy varieties that can survive without water for 22 days after germination and such climate-smart varieties have to be adopted,' the scientist said.

 

R Jagadeeshwar, former Director of Research at the Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, early sowings in kharif were already in vogue in areas such as Nizamabad where farmers use borewell water for irrigation. 'Technologies are available. Direct sowing of seeds (instead of growing nurseries and planting them later) would be an ideal method to advance the sowings. A good number of farmers have been doing this in Khammam and Nalgonda districts,' he said.

 

Another scientist, on condition of anonymity, felt that it (advancing sowings) may not be suitable for all regions of the State. 'It is suited for areas under assured irrigation facilities,' he felt.

 

Two back-to-back bouts of heavy rains and hailstorms during February-April this year caused extensive damage to the crops in the State.

 

On his part, Rao asked district collectors and officials of the Agriculture Department to take measures to sensitise farmers on the need for advancing the sowing and harvesting seasons by a month. There was a misconception among farmers that the crop growth wouldn’t be healthy if sown during the winter.

 

He said farmers now can bank on abundant groundwater and 24-hour quality power and advance their sowings. The State has come up with irrigation projects such as Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir and Kaleswaram lift irrigation project.

 

Farmers’ concern

Farmers, however, are not quite convinced about the idea. 'Not all parts of the State have bankable groundwater. We don’t get monsoon rains till late June or mid-July,' S Malla Reddy, a leader of Telangana Rythu Sangham, told businessline.

 

'If you go for early sowings in the rabi season, the crop growth wouldn’t be at the optimum level. Farmers generally prefer to go for rabi sowings after January 15,' he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said there is a misconception among farmers that if paddy is harvested in November duringYasangi (Rabi) season, the fibre will not grow due to severe cold, it is not true. The Agriculture Department should sensitise farmers in this direction and make arrangements so that the crops grown due to untimely rains are not damaged and the grain does not get wet.

 

Grain quality

Another reason why the government is pushing for the advancement of sowings in the rabi season is the issue of rice breaking up during milling of paddy. Due to rising temperatures in late March and April, the grain gets brittle, adversely impacting the conversion rate (the quantity of paddy converted into rice after milling.)

 

With the grain getting brittle reducing the quantity of rice that they get, millers prefer to go for parboiled rice. However, the Centre has made it clear that it won’t be procuring parboiled rice since it doesn’t have enough takers in the country.

 

The issue, in fact, triggered a political row between the TRS Government and the BJP Government. The Centre said it would take only raw (white) rice, and not parboiled rice, in this procurement season.

 

The Telangana Government’s decision is seen as a move to make farmers harvest the produce in March itself so that the paddy-to-rice conversion rate is higher. This is the second time in three years that the Telangana Government is trying to intervene in the sowing process.

 

In May 2020, the Telangana government said it would decide what crops farmers in the State will grow as part of its efforts to make agriculture more profitable through scientific cultivation, based on market demands. But nothing was heard of it in 2021 after Telangana faced problems in helping farmers sell their produce.

An Indian delegation, led by Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi, Advisor (Science & Standards, Codex), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), took part in the 47th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling held from May 15 to 19, 2023, in Gatineau (Ottawa), Québec, Canada.  

 

The delegation participated in various discussions at the global meet that saw the participation of delegates from 59 countries and 23 International Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, including representatives from WHO and FAO.

 

The issues that were discussed at the session included standards related to food labelling norms, use of new technologies in labelling, labelling of food allergens, labelling for e-commerce. Further, India has been made the co-chair in two E-working groups (EWGs) on labelling for E-commerce and the use of new technology in labelling.   

 

The Indian delegation also included Ajith Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Dr Aditya Jain, Senior Manager, National Dairy Development Board; and Dr Heena Yadav, Technical Officer, FSSAI; which brought diverse expertise on the table.  

 

During their visit, the team also met Sanjay Kumar Verma, High Commissioner of India to Canada, and a discussion took place on wide issues ranging from harmonisation with the Codex standards to import and export of food items, with an emphasis on the export of traditional food products, keeping in mind the sizeable and growing Indian population in Canada.

 

Verma stated that he is likely to meet the President of CFIA soon to discuss the mutual recognition of food certification system to improve the export of Indian food products to Canada.  

 

During the visit, Dr Oberoi also met Dr Harpreet Kochhar, President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and discussed about signing of MoU between FSSAI and CFIA. During his meeting with Dr Kochhar, Dr Oberoi also emphasised on the mutual recognition of few of the Food Testing Laboratories in India and Canada for facilitating trade of food products.

 

The Indian delegation also got an opportunity to have a detailed discussion with the officials of CFIA on the labelling of food allergens, use of technology in labelling, and visited the Food Emergency Response Centre and a Food Testing Laboratory in Ottawa, Canada. Previously, India has signed an MoU with Canada for the mutual recognition of food labs in both the countries.  

 

During the visit, Dr Oberoi also visited the Ontario Food Terminal at Toronto to get an insight into the inspection system for imported fresh fruits and vegetables.

India and Singapore on Monday agreed to create opportunities for lifelong learning, building a future-ready workforce, and making knowledge and skill development a key pillar of strategic partnership, according to the Ministry of Education. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is on a three-day visit to Singapore to strengthen existing ties and to explore the possibility of widening the scope of bilateral engagement in education and skill development.

 

Pradhan met various key ministers of the Singapore Government and visited Spectra Secondary School on Monday.

 

'Pradhan had a constructive meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Singapore, Lawrence Wong on strengthening the existing cooperation between India and Singapore with a focus on deepening engagements in skill development,' the ministry said in a statement.

 

'During the meeting, it was agreed to work together, aiming to create opportunities for lifelong learning, building a future-ready workforce, and making knowledge and skill development a key pillar of strategic partnership,' it added.

 

Later in the day, Pradhan visited Spectra Secondary School and interacted with the students as well as teachers to know more about the teaching-learning environment and pedagogy, among others.

 

'Pradhan had an insightful discussion with Singapore's Minister of Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong. The ministers had fruitful conversations on strengthening our skill development and vocational training linkages through all mechanisms for creating a seamless architecture for skilling and lifelong learning.

 

'Building on the outcomes of the G20 Future of Work workshop in Bhubaneswar, they also discussed ways in which India can leverage the expertise and knowledge of Singapore for addressing common challenges and transforming the Indian skills ecosystem,' the ministry said.

 

It also said the education minister had the opportunity to have a greater overview of the best practices and models being followed in Singapore for the training of the workforce.

 

'Both the ministers agreed to advance mutual priorities in skilling, create new opportunities for lifelong learning and collaborate together for the benefit of our countries as well as other emerging economies,' the ministry added.

The Kari Ishad mango prominently grown in Ankola taluk of Uttara Kannada has bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government. 

 

The GI certificate issued to Matha Totagars Farmer Producer Company Limited, Ankola is valid till March 1, 2032 from March 31, 2023. 

 

According to the Geographical Indications Journal of the government, the Kari Ishad is accepted as one of the finest quality mangoes due to its unique aroma, luscious taste, high amount of pulp, shape, and size. 

 

According to the Registry, the fruits are large and oblique to oval shape. Each panicle usually bears one fruit. A well grown tree produces/bears up to 2,000 fruits in a season. The fruit has a short shelf life of about five days.

 

In addition to Ankola, the mango is grown in Karwar and to a certain extent in Kumta of Uttara Kannada. The trees are prominently spread over Belse, Shetgeri, Belambara, Mogata, Vandige villages of Ankola. Vandige village produced the highest amount of about 600 tonnes of fruits a season. Belse village houses 1,500 plants. The fruit is famous because of its sweet taste and pulp. Hichkad Group Vividhoddeshagala Sahakari Sangha Niyamita, Ankola, which runs the Oriental Canneries and Industries produces about 12,000 tons of pulp every year. 

 

According to the Registry, the fruits are large and oblique to oval shape. Each panicle usually bears one fruit. A well grown tree produces/bears up to 2,000 fruits in a season. The fruit has a short shelf life of about five days. 

 

Its trading is limited to Ankola, Karwar and Hubballi markets. 

 

One of the Directors of Matha Totagars Farmer Producer Company Limited, Mahadev Indra Gouda, told The Hindu that a Kari Ishad mango mela (fair) will be held at Ankola on June 6, 2023. 

 

'Many trees lost fruits when heavy winds swept Ankola earlier this week. It resulted in huge loss of fruits,' he added. 

 

Mr. Gouda, who was the applicant for the GI certificate, said that the FPO has yet to adopt a business model for the better marketing of the product. 

 

He said that the exact extent of area under Kari Ishad is yet to be found out scientifically. 

 

Extraction and marketing of Ishad mango pulp has an interesting background, Shivananda Kalave, a Sirsi-based environmentalist, writer and green activist, told The Hindu. Oriental Canneries and Industries set up a unit in Ankola in 1908 to extract pulp from Ishad for making value-added products. The then Bombay Government supported it by supplying wood. The pulp, which was also being exported, was being marketed by the then Bombay-based Veerachand Panachand Company.  

 

An old marketing brochure printed at Basel Mission, Mangaluru, says that the pulp was used for making juice, syrup, salad and ice cream.  

 

According to the brochure, the pulp can be used for making 48 recipes. It was being used in the United States, Australia and Sri Lanka. According to the brochure, the Hichkad Group purchased the processing unit in 1970 for `95, Mr. Kalave said.  

 

The Ishad mango has two variants — Kari Ishad, which has thin skin, more pulp and is sweeter, and Bili Ishad, which has thick skin and has less pulp and sweetness.  

Tripura Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Friday said that the state has no dearth of unique products that can qualify for all the parameters of Geographical Indication tag. 

 

Addressing an awareness oriented seminar on Geographical Indication, the Minister listed a few of the products that are exclusively produced in Tripura and deeply rooted to the state’s culture. 

 

Referring to the indigenous rice beer, which is largely produced by the tribal communities in Tripura, the Minister said, 'Indigenous rice beer–popularly called Langi – is brewed in the rural households of our tribal brothers and sisters, and is part of the state’s culture. This beer not only tastes far better than the bottled beer sold in the licensed foreign liquor shops, it is also brewed in a hygienic atmosphere.'

 

Apart from that, he said, the state has plenty of fruits, vegetables and dishes that are unique and could not be found elsewhere. 

 

'For example, jackfruit is an important fruit of our state. In summer, a huge quality of jackfruit is produced here mostly in stand alone trees. The taste of Tripura jackfruit is the best. ‘Gudak’ is another traditional dish that is inseparable from the state’s food culture. Despite being an indigenous dish primarily, ‘Gudak’ is a part of platter even in the plains,' the Minister told the gathering of farmers associated with pineapple cultivation. 

 

The event was organized by North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) under the assitance of Ministry of DONER, Government of India. Recently the Queen Variety of Pineapple secured place in 13 North East produced that were GI tagged.

 

A total of 200 farmers received GI tagging certification from NERAMAC. 

Extremely popular within the country, made-in-UP alcohol seems to be doing brisk business in the overseas market as well. The demand for bottled liquor that is exported out of the state to foreign destinations has grown significantly during the 2022-23 fiscal year.

 

The provisional figures released by the excise department (demand between April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022) established at least 23% increased demand for UP-based liquor brands compared to the previous fiscal year.

 

While during the 2021-22 fiscal year, a total of 7.74 lakh cases of alcoholic beverages were sold abroad, during the nine-month period of the FY 2022-23, UP has already exported 9.48 lakh cases. The sale volume for the last quarter (January to March of 2023) is yet to be compiled and the final figures are expected to be much higher.

 

Only Mohan Meakin & Radico Khaitan create demand globally

 

Though UP is home to about more than two dozen different IMFL (India made foreign liquor) companies, only Mohan Meakin and Radico Khaitan have been able to create demand for their brands internationally. Officials said that the dark rum produced by Mohan Meakin in Ghaziabad continues to be the hot seller internationally. 'Of late, the demand for Indian single malt and craft gin has also picked up. The two premium products are produced in Rampur by Radico Khaitan,' said a senior officer from the department.

 

The two companies have been recording steady growth in the business for the past six years (barring the pandemic-induced slowdown) and are catering to 38 countries. 'I want to add that the two companies have operations in other states as well and could be exporting more brands,' the officer added. While the popular dark rum and premium products have demand in developed countries such as US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Qatar, Oman among others, the least developed countries (as per United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), including Congo, Liberia, Zambia, Djibouti in Africa and Haiti in the Caribbean, also procure affordable and cheap IMFL brands from UP.

 

Meanwhile, excise commissioner Senthil C Pandian said that handholding sessions for other liquor manufacturers will be organised in the coming months to improve the business prospects. 'We are going to create awareness over the procedure that needs to be followed while exporting liquor products. We have observed that both premium, mid-range and affordable products are being sold internationally but the quality required in the various international markets needs to be maintained,' said Pandian.