Neera commercially launched in Kochi

July 10, 2014 10:41 am | Updated 10:41 am IST - KOCHI

Palakad Coconut Producer Company launches sale of neera brand PalmDew at its kiosk in Vyttila Mobility Hub on Wednesday. Photo: K.K Mustafah

Palakad Coconut Producer Company launches sale of neera brand PalmDew at its kiosk in Vyttila Mobility Hub on Wednesday. Photo: K.K Mustafah

Neera, the unfermented sap from coconut flowers, was commercially launched here on Wednesday after nearly two years of a campaign by Coconut Development Board which said that farmers in the State could earn up to Rs. 50,000 crore a year from tapping about 10 per cent of the estimated 18 crore coconut trees in the State.

PamDew brand of neera from Palakkad Coconut Producer Company Limited was launched at a brief function at the Vyttila Mobility Hub by Chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority N. Venugopal.

The PamDew brand of cooled neera comes for Rs. 25 per 200 ml. PCPCL is among the nearly a dozen farmer producer companies under the aegis of Coconut Development Board, which will tap the market potential of neera through sale of the health drink and derivatives like palm sugar and jaggery.

Neera, rich in sugars, minerals and vitamins, has gained popularity as a health drink and a few foreign brands are already doing brisk business in Kerala.

Coconut Development Board’s Vazhakkulam technology centre, which has been producing neera and selling it on a laboratory scale, saw market demand rising significantly.

With the first commercial launch on Wednesday, neera from more farmer producer companies are expected to hit the market in September.

Board sources said the commercial launch of neera was made possible through an amendment of the Abkari Rules, which controls the sale of alcoholic drinks, including toddy.

A high-level committee appointed by the State government early last year had recommended that neera be brought out of the purview of the Abkari Rules to unleash its potential.

The committee had also said that neera sales undertaken by coconut farmers’ societies under the Coconut Board could be overseen by the Excise Department.

The Committee’s opinion was that even if only one per cent of an estimated 14 crore coconut trees in the State could be tapped for neera, it would have a big impact on the economy of the State.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.