The Hindu Business Line : Maharashtra keen to train farmers in wine-making

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Agri-Biz & Commodities - Horticulture/Fruits & Vegetables
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Maharashtra keen to train farmers in wine-making

Rahul Wadke

MIDC signs MoU with major Italian wine agencies

The MoU will help in setting up a wine development project which will include a service centre to train wine-makers in all aspects of viticulture.

Mumbai , June 26

After setting up two wine parks in the State, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is now keen on upgrading skills of local farmers in the science of wine making.

The MIDC has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and four major wine agencies of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

The MoU will help in setting up a wine development project which will include a service centre to train wine-makers in all aspects of viticulture, involving the cultivation expertise to develop suitable grape wine varieties, besides marketing of the wines.

Efforts will also be made to train the farmers by designing courses to be offered at the Wine Institute, Sangali.

Mr Sanjay Khandare, Joint Chief Executive Officer, MIDC, told Business Line the agreement would help in setting up facilities that will guide local wineries in backward and forward integration of their businesses. Upgradation of the facilities would also be carried out at the National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, and Wine Institute, Sangali, he said.

Acreage, output

Grapes are cultivated on 60,000 hectares across the country and the annual production is 16 lakh million tonnes. In Maharashtra, total area under grape cultivation is 40,000 hectares with annual production of 11 lakh million tonnes. Nasik, Sangli, Solapur, Pune, Ahmednagar, Latur, Osmanabad and Satara are main grape producing districts in the State.

The State produces about 95 lakh litres wine annually and the turnover is about Rs 150 crore. Mr Pradip Panch Patil, Winery Manger, Sula Vineyards, Nasik, said that MIDC's MoU will bring standards in the wine business and also enhance the technical know-how of the local institutes. Wine contains 85 ingredients and wine analysis is only done overseas at exorbitant costs.

"We hope that wine analysis skills would be imparted to the local institutes through this MoU," he said.

"Today all the wine producers in Nasik are claiming that their wines are the best, there is no one standard for grading wines.

"Therefore, this move will also help in creating an independent body, which will give grades to local wines," added Mr Panch Patil.

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