HNAHLAN

Hnahlan is a small village in Champhai district famous for its production of grapes and grape wine called Zawlaidi, meaning “Love Potion”. About 80% of the families at Hnahlan  are grape growers. Owing to this, it has become one of the most well-to-do villages in Mizoram and is aspiring to be the largest grape producer in India.Grape growers of Hnahlan village in Mizoram earn about Rs 150 lakhs annually. This was informed by leaders of Hnahlan Grape Growers Society to the journos who paid a visit to the village recently.Of the total 560 families in Hnahlan village, around 400 families are grape growers, Hnahlan Grape Growers Society leaders said, adding that owing to the small winery, the grape growers are unable to sell all their produce. The Society leaders said that  Hnahlan village produced 6600 quintals of grape this year, of which only 1400 quintals have been marketed. They said that they are waiting for the government to upgrade the winery, which will very much help the cultivators. At present, 1,20,000 litres of grape juice have been prepared for Zawlaidi, the Society leaders said, adding that due to inconstant power supply, work cannot progress as it ought to be, and further added that while there is more demand as Christmas is coming near, however, they could not meet the demand, the Society leaders informed the visiting journalists.Zawlaidi is a local grape wine in Mizoram. In recent times, cut in tax on grape wine has helped boost the locally brewed grape wine Zawlaidi in sales in Mizoram.So far during this year, Hnahlan Grape Growers Society had purchased 1350 quintals of grapes from the cultivators for brewing in the winery, while Champhai Winery also purchased 1200 quintals, leaders of Grape Growers Society informed.Hnahlan Grape Growers Society leaders said that from this year onward Oak wood is included in the grape brewing which purifies the smell and lessened its sourness. And as it is brewed longer time than in other years, it is expected to be tastier and even healthier than that of the wine brewed in other years. After the government has decreased the tax levied from grape wine (Zawlaidi) there has also been a good market so much so that the demand is not even met; therefore, by hiring more labourers, we have to work day and night continuously, leaders of the Grape Growers Society said.Since there’s a good sale, they could also clear up all the debts during last year, which amounts to Rs. 67 lakhs, and now, there is stock of uncanned 5, 5,000 litres of grape juice, Grape Growers Society leaders said, and expressed their gratitude towards the government for its good support. They also informed that this year they have manufactured 750 ml bottle of grape wine; and even the government also allowed their request to permit manufacturing of 650 ml bottle, however this will not be manufactured by Hnahlan Winery, they informed. 650ml capacity bottle of grape wine will be sold from winery at wholesale rate Rs 95.Champhai Winery also plans to manufacture 650ml bottle of grape wine from this year, and also will change its name to 'Zo Wine'; the change in the quantity- 650ml, owes to the decrease in the purchased rate, and the bottle becoming more handy now because of its light weight, and due to the expectation for easier purchase from Zokhawthar. Champhai Winery has 70,000 litres of unsold grape wine in stock now, and still could not pay its debt to the farmers from whom the grapes had been bought, sources informed.It can be mentioned here that in the beginning of this year, Mizoram's Hnahlan and Champhai Grape Growers Society had expressed grave concern over their low sellings of the locally brewed grape wine, ‘Zawlaidi’.Members of Hnahlan Grape Grower Society said, they have so far sold 37 thousand 8 hundred bottles out of 2 lakh bottles produced by them in this season. They also said, they cannot make payment to the farmers for procurement of  their grape in the last harvest season.During the year 2010, Mizoram after 13 years of prohibiting grape cultivators from producing wine has brought out Zawlaidi,  a locally manufactured grape wine, thanks to the amendment of MLTP Act 1997 in 2007. The enthusiasm of the grape farmers has been fuelled by the amendment of the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition (MLTP) Act. The Act had earlier prevented them from large-scale commercialisation of their products and wine-making from grapes.