Aizawl: Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday said that steps would be taken to upgrade grape wineries and expand the grape wine market.
“We will take measures by making good projects and even approach the Delhi government to upgrade the existing wineries and expand the grape wine market,” the chief minister said while visiting a winery at Tlangsam village in east Mizoram’s Champhai district.
During an interaction with leaders of the grape growers’ society, Zoramthanga said that grape wines are being manufactured legally now after the grape wine rules were notified recently by the government with the consent of various parties in the state.
He said that the government is contemplating on fixing the price or rate of grape wine.
The Mizo National Front (MNF) president said that his party has great concern for grape growers and has been making efforts for their welfare since its previous rule during 1998-2008.
He said that the present MNF government had in November 2020 waived off loan amounting to over Rs. 80 lakh owed by Champhai Grape Growers’ Society (CGGS).
Citing about the advantages of Champhai, Zoramthanga said the eastern district has potential for high production of fruits and crops besides grapes because of its favourable climate.
Mizoram as a whole has a great potential for production of fruits, vegetables and different species of orchids apart from rice because of its vast forest areas, sufficient rainfall and climate, he added.
The state government had notified the grape wine rules on September 7, which allowed the manufacture, sale and export of grape wines processed from locally grown grapes.
Processing or sale or export of grape wine was previously prohibited under the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, which came into force in the state except in the three Autonomous District Council (ADC) areas in the southern part of the state in May 2019.
The grape wine rules came as a result of protest and public outcry triggered by the seizure of huge quantities of bottled grape wines from shops in Aizawl in May.
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