60 crore in the first year which dwindled to Rs 1.Two years ago, 40,000 litres a day of Neera was produced which has now dwindled to 2000 litres pointing to the plight of the Neera producing companies and the 29 coconut producing companies in the state. S. I am hardly producing 200 litres per day now,” said Mr Priyesh Kumar who is also the CPM’s panchayat president at Mararikulam north in Alappuzha.Mr Shahjahan Kanjiravilayil, chairman of Coconut Production Companies, who runs the Kaipuzha Neera agency at Karunagapally, used to produce about 4,000 litres of Neera per day, after it started production in January 2015. C. Sip-Up is ice lolly encased in plastic covers.5 crore from the Kerala Financial Enterprises Ltd and used to produce over 2000 litres of Neera daily. Priyesh Kumar, 45, chairman of Alappuzha Coconut Producing Company, told DC that poor marketing technique, low shelf life of Neera and the poor technology caused the downfall of Neera. Suresh’s wife, Dr.

A high- level meeting will be held soon to address the issue.“Jose held talks with the then KAU vice- chancellor P.There are two types of technology in producing Neera - Anti-Fermented Solution (AFS) and Cold Chain Process (CCP) developed by Central Plantation Crops Research Institute at Kasargod which cannot pasteurise Neera. Rajendran in 2015 about transferring the KAU technology to the CDB. Sunil Kumar has told Shahjahan Kanjiravilayil to adopt a uniform technology as all the Neera companies are using either cold press process or anti-fermentation solution. Mr Shahjahan who is also the Karshaka Congress Kollam district president, blames the poor marketing strategy of CDB in failing to make Neera available across the state. Mohankumar, director, SCMS Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Research & Development, Kochi,” said Mr Suresh who was a member of the team which developed the KAU technology for Neera. The KAU demanded a paltry royalty of Rs 2 per China Mercedes-Benz ML-350 Grille litre. R. The Asian Age uncovers the reasons behind the rise and fall of Neera.Thiruvananthapuram: Neera, Kerala’s own coconut brew launched with much fanfare to cheer the spirits of the people, especially the farmers a few years ago, has lost its vigour and is hardly visible in the market.Agriculture Minister V.Mr D.Dr.

My initial turnover was Rs 3.Dr.He could repay his bank loan only four months ago. R. It gave 25 per cent subsidy or Rs 50 lakh to Neera companies which bore the remaining 25 per cent.It is produced with three-fourths of milk and the rest with Neera and is sold for Rs 10 per product at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, which sells like hot cake among students and hundreds of visitors who throng the campus there.But now it has come down to hardly 1500 litres per day.“Neera production is working on the revolving fund mode, including the use of electricity. I had 58 Neea technicians and their number has come down to seven. Some of the reasons for the failure of Neera have been poor marketing techniques, low shelf life and inadequate technology used to make it.“I had taken a loan of Rs 1.5 crore was coughed up.50 crore whereas I had invested Rs 32 crore in the Neera plant. There is no external fund and we are not running at a loss,” she said.KAU’s technology will be patented soon. Their technology is also being used in making 1,000 Sip-Ups daily.Seven Neera producing companies had invested several crores of rupees but with less production, they have become loss- making entities.

Jose, at present additional chief secretary, industry and commerce.While a blame game is on about who spoiled the chances of Neera making a breakthrough, the agriculture ministry is keen on achieving a convergence between various technologies used to make it. When it was introduced by the Coconut Development Board, Neera was touted as the saviour of coconut farmers in Kerala. It is developing Neera at its Kasargod and Vellayani campuses in small quantities of about 200 litres every day.He recalls that while the KAU technology of cold chain process was made successful within four years at a cost of less than Rs 1 crore, for the SCMS technology Rs 1.“There was boom in Neera sales in the first three years of production.Seven Neera producing companies had invested several crores of rupees but with less production, they have become loss- making entities. But Jose wanted it free which was not acceptable to the KAU.The production of Neera, the unleavened toddy collected from coconut flowers, was promoted by the Coconut Development Board under the then chairman T. K..

Suresh, associate director, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pilicode in Kasaragod, told DC that Mr Jose had worked to use a technology developed by Kerala Agricultural University. Sujatha, associate director under the Coconut Mission at Padanaakkad in Kasaragod, told DC that currently some 400 litres of Neera was produced every day from there. Therefore, Jose approached Dr. P. But he says the lost glory of Neera can be revived if the government shows the will, as there is no point blaming the officials alone. Now the monthly turnover is hardly Rs 15 lakh,” said Mr Shahjahan who is also president of Kaipuzha Karshaka Padasekhara Samithi, one of the largest paddy cultivation centres in the state. The CDB helped in setting up a number of coconut producing companies where Neera technicians, including tappers and coconut pluckers were appointed. But from the high of 40,000 litres per day two years ago, the production has now plunged to 2,000 litres a day.Some of the reasons for the failure of Neera have been poor marketing techniques, low shelf life and inadequate technology used to make it