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FRUIT WINES OF MEGHALAYA:

A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR RURAL LIVELIHOODS

Ashok Kumar, Research Scholar

Sharad Kumar Kulshreshtha, PhD, Assistant Professor

Department of Tourism and Hotel Management

North-Eastern Hill University, India Abstract

Sustainability signifies a condition based on the principles of sustainable

development, taking full account of its current and future economic, social and

environmental impacts taking the stakeholders’ needs, benefits, and interests into

consideration. The Government of India, of late, has realized what rural India can offer

to the world. The Tenth Five Year Plan has identified tourism as one of the major

sources for generating employment and promoting sustainable livelihoods. The

concept of sustainable rural livelihood is the enhancement of multiple opportunities so

that the local community can avail of the scope for income and employment generation

through sustainable tourism practices. Meghalaya is a state blessed with a variety of

agrobiodiversity and vivid climatic conditions which favours the cultivation of

different types of horticultural products like fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. Meghalaya

also has so many indigenous species of fruit plants that may not be found anywhere

else in the country. The horticultural wealth of the state in terms of fruits includes

peach, plum, pear, pineapple, banana, jackfruit, sohpieh, sohiong (black cherry),

sohsang, sohphoh, sohlang, sohbrap (pasion fruit), sohmon, etc. Fruit wines in

Meghalaya will have a niche market at its best, where the excess quantity of fruit

abundant in the areas can be processed. This study aims to highlight the relationship

between local fruit wine and sustainable rural livelihood in Meghalaya. The paper is

based on qualitative research techniques where an exploratory research approach has

been applied.

Keywords: fruits wine, sustainability, rural livelihood, wine tourism, Meghalaya

JEL Codes: L66, O18, Q56, L83

Received: November 11, 2020

Accepted: December 16, 2020 Kumar, A. and Kulshreshtha, S. K. (2020), “Fruit Wines

of Meghalaya: A Sustainable Approach for Rural

Livelihoods”, Journal of Applied Management and

Investments, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 169-182.

Introduction

The conventional socio-economic growth and development have resulted in

many unsustainable practices around the world. Even though the tourism industry is

relatively new, but is it not an exception to that. The traditional form of tourism or

mass tourism has many adverse socio-economic and cultural impacts on ecology and

various stakeholders. Hence, the opinion and practices recommended by environmental

economists and environmentalists are incorporated to resist the adverse consequences

of so-called traditional development. In the current scenario, environment and ecology,

along with socio-economic and cultural issues are increasingly addressed to ensure

development with dignity. The Tourism sector in the 21st century will not only be the

world's biggest industry, but it will also be the largest by far that the world has ever

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seen (Page and Dowling, 2001). The growing tourism industry will need to embrace

greater responsibility for its impacts, which may be economic, social, or

environmental. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) indicates that the tourists of

the 21st century will be traveling further afield on their holidays. China will be the

world's most popular destination by the year 2020, and it will also become the fourth

most important generating market. Agriculture, the primary means of livelihood for

millions of people in India still is in very bad shape. Though billions of rupees are

spent on various mega projects for alleviating poverty, it continues to be very acute.

The growth of the Indian population is unsustainable along with its agricultural and

industrial practices. The broadest estimate using NSS data vis-à-vis the calorie intake

prescribed by the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has shown that around

70 percent of the Indian population is living below the poverty line. Many such other

problems are social and gender inequalities, malnutrition, illiteracy, improper and

inadequate health facilities, unplanned urbanization, environmental degradation, etc.

But, from the Himalayas in Kashmir to the seacoasts of Kanyakumari and from the

Kutch in Gujarat to the humid forests of the northeast, India displays her wealth of

diversity in cultures, religious fairs, and festivals. Indeed, India follows unity in

diversity. The country extends up to 3200 km from south to north and 3000 km from

east to west covering 32,87,263 sq. km. In the global scenario, India has a prime

position in the field of tourism among the world's Top 50 (Fifty) tourist destination

countries. In India, the tourism sector is the second largest net foreign exchange earner.

This is a country with the second-largest human resources in the world. The country

has a large treasure of natural beauty, archaeological and architectural monuments. All

the hill stations beaches, mountains, lakes, river basins, etc. comprise separate bio-

geographic regions that are ecologically fragile and socio-culturally vulnerable. Almost

hundreds of these regions need immediate attention for awareness, management, and

sustainable development. Considering the attraction features, ecotourism varies from

one destination region to another.

About Meghalaya

‘Meghalaya’ derived from Sanskrit word, meaning ‘Abode of the Clouds’ was

declared the state of the Indian Union on January 2nd

, 1972. Meghalaya is a land-

locked territory lying between latitudes 250 47’ N and 2600’ N and longitudes

89045’E and 92047’E. The geographical area of the state is spread throughout 22,429

sq km. with a border area of 443 km with Bangladesh and has many rivers such as

Daring, Sanda, Umkhri, Digaru in different regions. The state has rich deposits of

valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium, and sillimanite and is home to many

rare species of birds, flora, and fauna. It is bounded on the North by Goalpara, Kamrup,

Nagaon, and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam state, and on the east by the districts of

Cachar and North Cachar Hills, also part of Assam. The state of Meghalaya is well

defined in its three different regions - the Khasi Hills in the Central part of Meghalaya,

Jaintia Hills in the eastern part of Meghalaya, and Garo Hills which form the western

part of Meghalaya. The Jaintia Hills and Khasi Hills which form the central and eastern

part of Meghalaya are impressive plateau with rolling grassland, hills, and river

valleys. The northern section of the plateau has an undulating topography with a series

of hills rising to almost the same height, extending northwards to slope gradually,

merging with the plain of Assam. The summit of these hills varies from 70 m to 820m.

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The southern face of the plateau is marked by deep gorges and abrupt slopes. The

height of the central plateau of the Khasi Hills hovers around 500 m with the Shillong

peak (965m), the highest point in the plateau, overlooking Shillong Town. The Garo

Hills which form the western part of Meghalaya are lower in elevation. The greater

parts of the Garo Hills range in height from 450m to 600m and drop steeply to the

Brahmaputra valley on the north and the plains of Bangladesh on the south. Nokrek

(42m) east of Tura town is the highest peak in western Meghalaya.

Fruits Wine of Meghalaya

The features of the indigenous wines of Meghalaya are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Indigenous Wines of Meghalaya

No. Name of the Wine Basic Ingredients and Botanical

Names Seasonality

1 Cashew nut apple Cashew Nut Apple (Anacardium

occidentale) March to October

2 Cherry wine Cherry(Prunus cerasus L.) Throughout the Year

3 Orange Citrus

sinensis (L.) Orange (Citrus sinensis) Throughout the Year

4 Ginger wine Ginger(Zingiber Officinale) Throughout the year

5 Mulberry Wine Mulberry(Morus) May to August

6 Strawberry Wine Strawberry(Fragaria) December to March

7 Passion fruit Wine Passion fruit(Passiflora) May to July

8 Blackberry Wine Blackberry(Rubus) May to September

9 Plum Wine Plum(Prunus Domestica) May to September

10 Banana Wine Banana(Musa) Throughout the year

11 Jackfruit Wine Jackfruit(Artocarpus

Heterophyllus) May to September

12 Peach Wine Peach(Prunus Persica) May to September

13 Pear Wine Pear(Pyrus) May to September

14 Pine Apple Pineapple (Ananas Comosus) March to October

15 Blackberry Wine Sohiong(Prunus nepalensis) May to September

16 Kiwi Wine Kiwi fruit(Actinidia Deliciosa) December to March

Source: Compiled by the authors

Status of Wine Making Policy

Meghalaya winemakers association and Forever Young Sports and Cultural club

have been organizing Meghalaya Wine Festival for the last 18 years. The festival

attracted winemakers and tourists from across the state and even other parts of the

North-Eastern states of the country. Earlier the indigenous winemaking and marketing

in the state was not legalized. However, the present State Government has introduced

the Manufacture and Sale of Homemade Fruit Wines Rules 2020 for issuing licenses to

winemakers in the state. By bringing this rule they have put an end to almost a two

decade –long demand for legalizing the local homemade winemaking. This strategic

move by the state government would go a long way in helping farmers producing a

variety of fruits in the state to sell their products locally which can then be value added

by the local winemakers. This will certainly boost the horticultural sector of the state,

tourism, and revenue generation for the state exchequer but once it blossoms into a

cottage industry, it will help generate employment and rural livelihood.

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Stakeholders of Fruit Wines in Meghalaya

The different stakeholders for the fruit wines in Meghalaya (Figure 1) may

include the Farmers harvesting the local fruits, Fruit vendors, Winemakers who do

value addition to the fruits, distribution channels, Cellar door sales,

Hotels/Restaurants/Permit Rooms/Bars, etc.

Figure 1. Stakeholders of Fruit Wines

Review of Literature

Fruits Wines

Fruit wines are un-distilled alcoholic beverages usually made from grapes or

other fruits such as peaches, plums or apricots, banana, elderberry or black current, etc.

which are nutritive, tastier, and mild stimulants (Swami et al., 2014). Fruit wines are

usually referred to by their main ingredient (e.g., plum wine or elderberry wine)

because the usual definition of wine states that it is made from fermented grape juice.

In the European Union, wine is legally defined as the fermented juice of grapes. Fruit

wine is commonly called country wine. Fruit wines are fermented alcoholic beverages

made from a variety of base ingredients (other than grapes); they may also have

additional flavours taken from fruits, flowers, and herbs. This definition is sometimes

broadened to include any fermented alcoholic beverage except beer.

Fruit wines have traditionally been popular with home winemakers and in areas

with cool climates such as North America and Scandinavia; Africa, India, and the

Philippines, etc. The modern fruit wine may be used more widely as an aperitif, an

accompaniment to meals, or even used in the food and can be considered parallel to

grape wines. This wider use and the basic idea of fruit wine as an alternative to grape

wine is a new concept (Sundbo, 2015). Fruit wine is undergoing gastronomic renewal.

New, scientific cultivation and production methods and the use of local varieties of

fruit, primarily apples and cherries, based in local "terroir" (Groce and Perri, 2010) are

bases for new types of fruit wine with high gastronomic value. Producers are

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experimenting with new fruit varieties, new cultivation methods (using different

fertilizing methods, land areas, harvest times, apple and cherry varieties, etc.), and new

production methods (storing temperature, fermentation, chemical control, etc.).

Sustainable Development

It can be said that the first definition given to sustainable tourism was declared

by the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1996: it says "tourism

which leads to management of all areas, in such a way, that the economic, social and

environmental needs are being fulfilled with the cultural integration, ecological

processes, biodiversity and supporting the development of societies". Besides,

regarding the main concept of sustainable development, UNWTO stated that

sustainable tourism can be described also as a process that "takes into account the

needs of present tourists and traveler needs of the future generations as well" (Fennel,

2003). Sustainable tourism views tourism within destination areas as a relationship

between their communities and peoples, tourists, and the tourism industry. Earlier, the

tourism industry has dominated this relationship. Sustainable tourism use to reconcile

the conflicting interests between these three partners. It minimizes environmental and

cultural damage, optimizes visitor satisfaction, maximizes long-term economic growth,

and balances tourism growth potential and the conservation needs of the environment

(Bhadauria and Rastogi, 2012).

Rural Livelihoods

Thus, culinary tourism (food and wine) besides being a form of tourism in its

own right overlaps with rural tourism. One way to comprehend and interpret this

overlap is that culinary tourism is linked to rural tourism when it takes place in a rural

setting. How can rural tourism contribute to rural development? Many agree that

tourism can act as a catalyst of socio-economic development in rural areas and produce

the following benefits (Sharpley, 2002; Saxena and Ilbery, 2008):

Alleviation of poverty and unemployment;

Local employment: job retention, job creation & job diversity agricultural

support;

Growth in income;

Increase in local participation;

More control of local resources;

Nature conservation and sustainable tourism;

Preservation of local traditions, art, culture, and heritage;

Women empowerment;

Improvement in environment.

Therefore, proper management of it could help in the efforts to alleviate poverty.

The launching of the ST-EP program by UNWTO in 2006, marked the beginning of

the new approach of using tourism as a tool for reducing poverty in most of the least

developed and developing countries. Recently there is an emergence of Pro-Poor

Tourism (PPT) as an approach to tourism development which aims at increasing the

net benefits for the poor and is guided by one common principle of improving the

linkage between tourism business and the poor by expanding the benefits to the poor

taking anti-poverty as its primary goal. He further concluded that both ST-EP and PPT

share the same theme of unlocking opportunities for the poor focusing on poverty

alleviation no matter what definition is given to the two concepts.

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Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Community and Livelihood Development

Community development means working at the grassroots level, rather than

merely focusing on the policy level (Daskon and Binns, 2009). In early approaches to

community development from the 1950s to early 1979s, priorities and actions to

particular communities tended to be defined by outsiders rather than by local people

(Daskon and Binns, 2009). Increased concern for local knowledge, participatory

learning, and empowerment of communities has brought the approaches to focus on

grassroots (Chambers, 2009). Such approaches have collectively developed with local

people for changing their situation for the better (Potter et al., 2008). Since the 1990s,

an effort has promoted to better understand rural livelihoods and to bring rural

development strategies more in line with the priorities of rural communities (Elaine

and Danilo, 2012). A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets, and activities

required for a means of living: a livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and

recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets

(Chambers and Conway, 1991). The neglect of Traditional Knowledge and cultural

factors in the contexts of achieving sustainable livelihoods is a serious shortcoming as

seen in the Noto Peninsula, Japan (Elaine and Danilo, 2012). The results of group

discussions and interviews in the Peninsula showed that the local people have inherited

TK on many aspects of their surroundings and their daily lives, and TK has constituted

a valuable resource for rural development. It has covered a wide range of subjects such

as species (e.g. wild edible plants and mushrooms), land use (e.g. traditional paddy

farming), and management of the satoyama ecosystems. Within this context, we

particularly explored the role of TK-based upon wild edible plants and mushrooms in

terms of sustainable rural development livelihoods. The results of the surveys revealed

that the local people still harvest the indicated species for a variety of reasons (e.g.

traditional diet system) in the Peninsula.

Wine Tourism as Special Interest Tourism (SIT)

Wine tourism is growing as a form of special interest tourism (Charters and Ali-

Knight, 2002; Getz and Brown, 2006). Further, the tourism literature positions wine

tourism as an industry in itself, however, it is inextricably linked to other forms and

parts of tourism (Getz, 2002; Szivas, 1999; Sharples, 2002). Getz (2002) associated

wine tourism with cultural tourism, rural tourism, festivals, events, and more.

According to O’Neill and Charters (2004), wine tourism generates economic activity,

creates full/part-time jobs, earns foreign exchange if international visitors are attracted,

and creates substantial long-term wealth. According to Sharples (2002), wine and food

may be one of the main motives for visiting specific areas and countries around the

world, and that the activities based on wine and food can be an important part of the

tourist experience. The wine industry allows creating a relationship with the tourism

industry since wine is associated with relaxation, communication, nutrition, hospitality,

and others, which tourists seek to satisfy during their holiday (Dodd, 1995). The

emergence of special interest tourism (SIT) is viewed as evidence of the increasing

diversity of holiday interests of the early twenty-first-century leisure society (Douglas

and Derret, 2001). Wine tourism, as special interest tourism (SIT), encompasses a wide

range of experiences built around tourist visitation to wine outlets, wineries, and wine

regions (Getz, 2002). One of the most widely used definitions of wine tourism is from

the visitor’s perspective. Wine tourism is now acknowledged as an emerging area of

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special interest tourism throughout the world, and it is an increasingly important

tourism component for many wine-producing countries. The wine sector has shown

significant growth in the last five years in India and the tourism-related activity has

also increased, particularly in Maharashtra (Raut and Bhakay, 2012). Wine tourism has

been growing because of tourists' interest and government assistance to wine

producers. The Resource Guide for a start-up suggests that government officials have

become aware of the wine industry’s potential to create economic opportunities in rural

communities (Raut and Bhakay, 2012).

Wine Tourism Centric Rural Livelihood

It is not only that international tourism makes a key contribution to the income of

tourist destination areas, but it also provides employment opportunities, supports a

large and diverse range of industries, helps to expand local economies, and supports

both in existing infrastructure and development of new infrastructure (Shone, 2008).

The process of Tourism also helps to balance out regional inequalities (Jackson, 2006).

Thus, the tourism sector has become a fundamental part of the developmental policy

and economic approach in many countries (Sharpley, 2002). The economic impacts of

tourism include the generation of income through the multiplier effect as tourist

expenditures are recycled through the local economy, the generation of employment,

the encouragement of entrepreneurial activity, the stimulation of regional economies,

and the alleviation of regional economic imbalances(Sharpley, 2002; Vanhove, 2005;

Wall and Mathieson, 2006). With the course of development, a cycle of snowballing

growth is set in motion providing opportunities for increased investment as well as a

network of backward integration to other sectors of the tourist destination’s economy

(Telfer and Wall, 1996).

Research Questions

Qs-1 What is the ideal livelihood model for wine tourism in Meghalaya?

Qs-2 What are the involvement and participation of multi-stakeholders in wine

tourism centric rural livelihood?

Qs-3 What are the major challenges to wine tourism-related rural livelihood in

Meghalaya?

Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study are the following:

To study the opportunities and challenges of fruits wine tourism-related rural

livelihood in Meghalaya.

To evaluate the involvement and participation of multi-stakeholders in fruits

wine centric rural livelihood.

Research Methodology

The present study has been carried out in the state of Meghalaya. This paper is

based on qualitative research techniques where an exploratory research approach has

been applied. In this regard, personal visits and surveys have been done to observe the

potential and challenges of wine tourism and its role in sustainable rural livelihood. A

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focus group interview has been conducted of various tourism stakeholders, local

entrepreneurs, Department of Tourism, Headmen of Villages, local communities

especially people involved in winemaking practices. Secondary data has been collected

from reputed journals of tourism research, books, travel magazines, national and local

newspapers, annual reports of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Meghalaya

Tourism, Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), and some useful

websites.

Figure 2. Sustainable Approaches Rural Livelihood through Fruits Wines in

Meghalaya

Figure 3. Departments Involve in Fruits Wine Livelihood Training and

Development

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Figure 4. Strategic Involvement of Key Institutions for Fruit Wine Livelihoods

Fruits Wine Centric Rural Livelihoods in Meghalaya

Wine Making

The state of Meghalaya has an old tradition of winemaking but there are very

few players who come forefront in the wine tourism sector. Wine tourism has not

flourished because of many impeding factors like legalization issues, cost, and product

knowledge, and lack of awareness of promoting wine tour as the holiday vacation.

Meghalaya is a state blessed with a variety of agrobiodiversity and vivid climatic

conditions which favours the cultivation of different types of horticultural products like

fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. Meghalaya also has so many indigenous species of fruit

plants that may not be found anywhere else in the country. The horticultural wealth of

the state in terms of fruits and vegetables includes so many exotic fruits. These

horticultural products are highly perishable and should be processed in the form of

jams, jellies, squash, juices, and wines to avoid their wastages. If fruit production,

especially the indigenous fruits, is encouraged, they will provide winemakers with a

larger selection. As winemaking gains popularity, fruit farmers will have a better

market for their harvest. The Shillong wine festival and other indigenous fruit festivals

will preserve, promote and also help create awareness not only on the art of

winemaking but also its commercial potential as the tourism industry. Wine is one of

the fermented beverages that have many health benefits. Traditionally, wine is

produced by the fermentation of fruit juices using yeast which involves the conversion

of sugar to alcohol. Using fruits and vegetables having medicinal and nutritional value

as a substrate for wine production, the health benefits can be improved widely. Wine

can act as a nutrient supplement for seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

Vegetables and fruits like Ginger and Indian gooseberry, which are known for their

high medicinal and nutritional value are used as the substrate here. Fermentation is

carried out with Saccharomyces cerevisiae commonly known as baker’s yeast.

Winemaking is an enjoyable, educational and satisfying hobby of the communities in

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Meghalaya. The traditional wine base ingredient is the grape because it naturally

contains the correct mix of sugar, moisture, tannin, and nutrients required for

fermentation and preservation, and it even carries its natural yeast present in the bloom.

But in reality, wine can be made from almost any non-toxic plant or plant part if

additional ingredients are supplied in the correct amount. So the process of making

wines from various types of fruits, vegetables, and spices is no more complicated than

making wine from grapes and it is a good preservation method. Fermentation can

extract valuable components from the raw materials used for production. The alcohol

content of home-made wines is only about 7-8% which makes it consumable for

persons of any age group.

Production Process of Fruit Wines

Figure 5. Production Processes of Fruit Wines Source: Authors’ compilation

Food & Wine Harmony

• The choice of wines with the food is based on the sommelier's suggestion or

with their own experience.

• Indigenous beverages like rice beer may be consumed with any meal during

festivals, ceremonies, etc.

• Wine is a perfect partner for food.

• Dry white wine goes well with fish and fatty foods.

• Red wines may be served with red meats, games.

• Sweet wines are served with sweets and desserts.

Wine Tourism

Wine tourism = wine industry + tourism. "Wine tourism is visiting vineyard,

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wineries, wine festivals and exhibitions are organized for recreation". "Visiting

vineyard, wineries, wine festivals, wine exhibitions in the wine tasting and/or

sightseeing, wine regions are the primary motives" (Hall, 1996). Wine Tour may

include food and wine harmony, enjoying the environment, recreation, cultural,

natural, and other activities that are available in the wine regions.

Wine festivals

The wine festival, which has taken place for the last Eighteen years, has lasted

one day each year. The wine festival is organized by an enthusiastic young man Mr.

Michael Syiem who the president of a group is called the 'Forever Young Club' and the

Meghalaya Wine Makers Association. Though relevantly located at the central hub of

the city the venue attracts producers and consumers from all over the world. Having

paid an entrance fee, visitors are given wines for tasting in miniature glasses. They are

then admitted into the lounge area, which is not normally open to the public. In this

area, separate booths have been provided to the producers and are converted into

temporary market places. There are also a few booths selling food as well as several

booths doing demonstrations such as how to cook or make desserts with fruit wine.

Outside the booths is a lawn with sitting arrangements. The wine festival attracts wine

tourists, wine connoisseurs, gastronomic tourists, and wine visitors.

Sustainable Wine Tourism vis-a-vis Community Participation

Poitras and Getz (2006) studied an important dimension of wine tourism, which

is the sustainability of wine tourism in the host community and tourist destination. The

authors mention that sustainable wine tourism depends on social, environmental, and

economic sustainability and, specifically, on the "identification and management of

unique issues about the resources used (i.e. the land and water, labour), specific forms

of wine tourism development, and the specific impacts caused by wine-related

tourism". Some of the main issues identified were the activity's seasonality,

competition, environmental impacts and the participation of all stakeholders, and

community involvement in the development of the region. According to Alonso and

Liu (2011), to have sustainable wine tourism, the participation of all relevant

stakeholders is essential, as well as government support, and there must be

coordination among them; but they recommend that more studies must exist to

understand wine tourism in other regions.

Challenges of Fruits Wine Livelihoods in Meghalaya

The challenges in terms of quality of wine compared to the other states like

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh is

also a major setback. The other major hurdles of the wine tourism sector include the

amount of initial investment required, lack of technical expertise in local entrepreneurs,

professional knowledge & skills, and various marketing and distribution channels,

coordination of related departments. The lack of proper understanding regarding the

wine tourists, their needs and expectations, buying behaviour, etc. also plays a major

role in the promotion of wine tourism. Government support is important for wine

tourism development. Wine tourism cannot function successfully without partnership

within the community. Strong cooperation with restaurants and hotels, excise and

police, health agencies, employment services, and environmental groups are widely

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needed to support the growth of the fruits wine industry. Finally, it is crucial to take

good care of the environment and preserve the rural beauty of the fruit orchards so the

region can keep its status as a wine destination.

Conclusion

The fruit wine production and consumption culture in Meghalaya very old but it

for self and festive purposes. For a long time, there was a continuous demand from the

Meghalaya Wine association to develop a legal policy framework on local fruit wines

making in Meghalaya. Recently Meghalaya Government has introduced the

Manufacture and Sale of Home Made Fruit Wines Rules, 2020 for issuing of licenses

to winemakers in the state. Fruits winemaking and wine tourism in Meghalaya is still at

a nascent stage and needs a proper tourism development plan. Conscious collaborative

efforts are required from the wine and tourism industries to come together and form a

wine tourism development board. Such a board or body should own the overall wine

tourism road map and will remain committed to finance and support its

implementation. Fruit wines of Meghalaya will have a niche market at best, where the

excess quantity of fruit abundant in the areas can be harnessed. Meghalaya has plenty

of pineapples, Banana, Strawberry, passion fruit, and sohiong that would make decent

wines once the proper focus and commercial exploitation are feasible. All this is

possible only if and when the government of Meghalaya takes some positive steps to

allow the harnessing of the fermentation capability of its abundant fresh fruits. The

production of indigenous beverages may serve as a good source of income for the

livelihood of the ethnic groups and a source of revenue to the state. The production

may be encouraged at the level of a cottage industry.

Future of Fruit Wine Livelihoods in Meghalaya

The Meghalaya Government has amended the much-awaited excise rules in the

year 2020. The present State Government has introduced the Manufacture and Sale of

Homemade Fruit Wines Rules 2020 for issuing licenses to winemakers in the state. By

bringing this rule they have put an end to almost a two decade –long demand for

legalizing the local homemade winemaking. This strategic move by the state

government would go a long way in helping farmers producing a variety of fruits in the

state to sell their products locally which can then be value added by the local

winemakers. Since the indigenous fruits are mostly grown and harvested in rural

settings, the production, and marketing of the fruit wines will help the local farmers

and encourage them to enhance their production process. This will certainly boost the

horticultural sector of the state, tourism, and revenue generation for the state exchequer

but once it blossoms into a cottage industry, it will help generate employment and rural

livelihood.

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