Arunachal Pradesh kiwi's wine launched

A high quality wine produced from kiwi fruits of Arunachal Pradesh has been formally launched. The wine being sold in the brand name of 'Arun Kiwi' was produced as a result of an MoU signed between Arunachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing & Processing Board (APHPM&PB) and Pune-based Hill Crest Foods & Beverages Pvt Ltd in December last year.

The brand name bears the name of Arunachal Pradesh, the largest kiwi fruit producing state in the country, APHPM&PB Managing Director Tage Tatung said in a release on Tuesday. Kiwi fruits cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh are of high aroma and flavour, thus producing a very crisp and fresh kiwi wine.

The MoU was signed with Hill Crest Foods & Beverages considering the huge surplus and value added for the fruit processing, he said adding kiwi wine is produced in a few countries like New Zealand in the world.

"After a few years we should be in a position to exporting Arun Kiwi," Tatung said. In the initial stage, the price of the wine has been kept low for promotion. To promote kiwi fruit farming and helping farmers by such value addition, Arunachal Pradesh government was not making any profit rather incurring some losses, he said.

Tatung appealed to all kiwi fruit traders to come to Arunachal Pradesh instead of importing from other countries as the state government is eager to support, promote and welcome such ventures. 'Arun Kiwi' was launched in Pune on Friday.

Rhythm Winery, a part of the Hill Crest Foods & Beverages Pvt Ltd, is sourcing over 2.5 tonnes of kiwi fruits from Arunachal for brewing the wine. According to the MoU, the revenues from this business will go to the APHPM&PB while Rhythm Winery is only a service provider working on project basis.

"We will finance the full cost of the project amounting to Rs 18,84,000 as per project proposal submitted by Hill Crest," Tatung said.