Meghalaya Govt to promote fruit wine industry
Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma, during the launch of North East Wine Incubation Centre at Mawdiangdiang, Shillong, stated that the Meghalaya government has charted out a plan to promote the wine industry while a robust policy has been put in place to promote a thriving ecosystem that links tourism, agriculture, job creation and entrepreneurship through the promotion of local winemakers.
The North East Wine Incubation Centre is first of its kind in the entire northeast region of India and will assist to promote the industry – establishing a proper system, policy, and support structure for local fruit winemakers. Such initiatives will hugely boost the wine industry, while also benefiting farmers, tourists, and entrepreneurs in the state.
Speaking of his vision to make Meghalaya the fruit wine capital of the country, the Chief Minister expressed confidence in achieving this goal with the collaboration of all stakeholders. He hoped that the wine incubation centre will provide a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to test and utilize machinery, encouraging innovation and economic growth through wine making.
Addressing concerns about licensing and accessibility for winemakers, Chief Minister Sangma assured the public that licensing fees would remain nominal. He also announced that the government is actively streamlining the registration process to facilitate ease of access for local winemakers.
Addressing concerns about licensing and accessibility for wine makers, the CM assured the public that the licensing fees would remain nominal, even as he added that the government is streamlining the registration process to facilitate ease of access for local wine makers.
In September, 2020, the Meghalaya Govt amended the Meghalaya Excise Rules to legalise the production and sale of homemade wines under licence to provide a legal avenue for local winemakers to carry out wine making as a commercial venture. This amendment was adopted to provide an impetus to the horticulture sector to undertake cultivation and production of indigenous fruits on a commercial scale.
Also, the first batch of wine appreciation and wine making certification courses were held in June-July 2023 for 68 trainees and for the second batch of 25 trainees in August 2023. A total of 93 winemakers have been trained so far with 16 of them currently undergoing internship in the winery of Hill Zill wines, Bordi, Maharashtra.
Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission or MFEC organized the coursed with the aim of encouraging local winemakers to transition from the traditional art of winemaking to modern winemaking techniques to ensure that the quality of wine produced in the state matches nationally and internationally recognised wine standards.
