<p></p><p>Feni, a traditional alcoholic drink distilled from the fermented juice of cashew apples, will be notified as the state heritage drink of Goa, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Wednesday. <br></p> <p>In his budget speech in the legislative assembly, Parsekar said the BJP-led coalition government was in the process of formulating a policy for feni. "Feni is unique to Goa and is the first alcoholic drink to obtain a GI (Geographical Indication). I propose to notify feni as a state heritage drink," he said. <br></p> <p>Feni is distilled from fermented juice extracted from the cashew apple and is a popular alcoholic beverage in Goa. A similar process is also used to distill coconut feni from palm toddy. "We are also in the process of formulating a feni policy, providing marketing support, price control, while also exempting VAT (Value Added Tax) for certain categories of cashew and coconut palm feni," Parsekar said.<br></p><p></p>