Sebastian P Augustine, an 82-year-old farmer from Kasaragod in Kerala, is now the talk of the town as he is the first farmer in Kerala to receive a licence from the state’s Excise Department to manufacture and sell wine on a large scale.
Sebastian, who has been farming various fruits on his sprawling 15-acre coconut farm at Bheemanady village in Kasaragod for several decades, has secured the licence to produce wine and sell it in the market under a brand name of his choice.
Sebastian, who has been cultivating Dragon Fruit, Mangosteen, and Banana on his farm, decided to approach the state government seeking a licence to brew wine after he won a patent for a unique blend of wine which he made by mixing tender coconut with exotic fruits.
“Though I was into farming from a very young age, I seriously got into it after retiring from government service as deputy tehsildar in 1998. In 2004, I successfully made a wine after blending tender coconut with the exotic fruits I am growing. I applied for a patent and got it in 2007,” Sebastian told “Open Digest“.
It was in 2023 that Sebastian applied for the licence from the state excise department. “I received the licence a few days back. Now I am in discussion with various companies to set up a state-of-the-art winery in my farm for producing the wine on a large scale. The wine industry has great potential in Kerala, and I hope this initiative opens doors for more farmers to explore similar opportunities,” he said.
The Excise Department has approved Sebastian’s application as part of Kerala government’s progressive step toward diversifying Kerala’s agricultural and agro-industrial sectors. “We issued the licence as part of the state’s policy to encourage innovative agri-businesses. We hope other farmers follow suit,” said an excise official.
Sebastian’s wines will soon hit the market under his newly registered brand, offering unique blends from fruits grown on his farm.
