Kerala govt scraps bakery’s new ‘horti-wine’ licence, transfers excise officer
The ‘horti-wine’ was designed primarily to boost earnings of farmers growing fruits, particularly pineapple, mango, banana and jackfruit.
Kerala's Excise Minister, M Liju, revoked a licence for a bakery in Thrissur to sell 'horti-wine', an alcoholic beverage produced from local fruits with 15.5% alcohol content, and dismissed the official who issued the order. The minister claimed that the licence was permissible under the excise rules from the previous Pinarayi Vijayan-led government but should not have been granted during the United Democratic Front (UDF) government's policy-making process.
The 'horti-wine' was introduced by the LDF government in 2022 to boost farmers' income, particularly those growing pineapple, mango, banana, and jackfruit. The UDF government had amended the rules for horti-wine to help farmers, and they opposed the revocation of the order due to social sensitivities. Excise Commissioner CK Anil Kumar, who issued the order two days after taking charge, has been transferred out and placed on compulsory leave.
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