UK market can wait, Kerala toddy body first wants to tap tech for the perfect bottle

Kochi: Toddy, Kerala’s mildly alcoholic craft beverage, has found a surprise push into the global market with India and the UK signing the free trade agreement. Along with Goa’s feni and Nashik’s artisanal wines, toddy is set to gain shelf space in high-end UK retail and hospitality chains, according to reports quoting a Commerce & Industry ministry official.

The FTA push, which is expected to remove tariffs on 99 per cent of Indian exports, could help toddy tapped in Kerala find its way to the UK outlets. However, the natural fizzy drink will have to wait a little longer to take the exciting UK trip. 

Tapped directly from coconut or palm trees, toddy, known as kallu in Malayalam, has only a limited shelf life, and its Kerala market, overseen by the state government, is yet to find a way to package it. The FTA push comes even as the Kerala Toddy Industry Development Board has initiated the process to find the best suitable technology to increase the shelf life of toddy without altering its alcohol content and taste. At present, the maximum shelf life of toddy is said to be just three days. After that, it could turn acidic due to fermentation.

The Toddy board has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from entities possessing the technology to preserve the drink for a longer shelf life. The idea is to introduce bottled toddy with a minimum shelf life of one month. 

"We have called EoIs for technology that can ensure shelf life from one month to 12 months. The deadline to receive EoIs is by mid-August. Our aim is to use technology to make the product suitable for exports," Toddy Board chairman U P Joseph told Onmanorama on Thursday. He said he was yet to get details of the FTA. 

Joseph said the plan to introduce bottled toddy has been made to expand its market, even as it aims to avoid the wastage of unusable product. “Now there is a mismatch between the production and the demand. The production does not take place in many places as per the demand. Even in places where there is a scope for increased production, the plant owners are not keen to do so because of the fear of wastage. Once we can come up with a suitable bottling technology, all these concerns could be addressed,” he said.

The Board is also planning to increase toddy production on its own once the technology is finalised and bottling works are started. The Kerala Agriculture University has already shown interest in sharing two coconut farms under it with the Board for production enhancement, Joseph said.

India is currently ranked 40th in the world for alcoholic beverage exports. The latest FTA push is seen as part of the target to be among the top 10 exporters in the world in the coming years.