KOHIMA — Nagaland-made
fruit beverage (local wine) ‘Tsuipu’ has established a brand name because of
its uniqueness of using honey instead of yeast and sugar in the products. More
importantly, the brand was established with a motive to help the local farmers.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror, a 36-year-old
Lovi Achumi, proprietor of Tsuipu, said that her enterprise is all about
connecting the farmers to the consumers because they are making products with
the farmers produce and supplying to the consumers. Achumi hails from Lazami
village in Zunheboto district.
She has always been interested in business from college
days. She started her enterprise in 2014 after learning food processing with
specialisation in beverages. Initially, she started with her own little saving
and sold them among family and friends.
Lovi recalled that she first started experimenting after
buying gooseberries from a self help group (SHG) who were unable sell their
products. Now, she produces about 6000 to 7000 bottles of 275 ML wine and about
3000 bottles of 750 ML wine.
She said that Tsuipu is different from other products as she
uses honey instead of yeast and sugar.
“And we focus on ageing and quality of the products. I
cannot go for mass production. To us quality matter over quantity,” she said.
Lovi informed that she source-in locally grown fruits from
different villages and districts across the state. Some fruits like strawberry,
peach and few others, which are not available in mass production in Nagaland,
are bought from neighbouring states.
She thanked the government for providing her an inventory at
old industrial estate in Dimapur.
Youth expectation
She has employed about 10 unemployed young women and mothers
after providing them free training. Talking about employing the youth of the
state, she lamented that their salary expectations are too high though they are
practically unqualified.
She supplies her products to wholesalers across the state
including Kohima, Dimapur, Zunheboto, Mon and Tuli. She also promotes her
products through social media.
Misconception of wine
“When we talk about wine, many people take it negative. Wine
is a part of appetiser but many people take it the other way and think about
getting drunk with wine. But collectively, the motive of the wine brewers is
that wine is an appetizer,” she emphasised.
She informed that they also receive orders from alcohol
store and bars but do not supply to them but only sell their products in
departmental stores, bakeries.
“Instead of other alcohol, people can opt for wine, which
has more health benefits,” she said citing how in Arunachal Pradesh and
Meghalaya, the wine makers are generating a lot of revenue.
“So if given the opportunity even in Nagaland, the wine
makers will also buy the fruits from the farmers, provide more employments and
not only depend on the government sector,” she said.
She said that the products demand is increasing and the
response is getting better.
Meanwhile, Lovi commented that she is doing business to make
a change.
“It is not only about money but I feel so happy to buy from
the farmers which is also helping them. I feel happy to make a difference. Not
doing business just to earn money but growing together with the community,” she
said.
Her message to the upcoming entrepreneurs is to challenge
themselves and do something new.
Sharing her experience, she said that “if you compete with
others, you will never grow. You should challenge yourself and only then you
can grow.”
Lovi has won several awards among which included State
Entrepreneurs Awards 2022 for producing juice and wine using honey and pickles
using local foods and promoting local farmers. Her product “Tsuipu food
products” also received an award as the best heritage beverage of the year 2024
presented by the Indian Awaz Foundation.
