Bihar, now a dry state after chief minister Nitish Kumar introduced total prohibition two months ago fulfilling an election promise, is hankering after a possible homegrown alternative to alcohol addicts.

Is it a refined version of traditional toddy that Bihar is after?

Well, scientific community is in no doubt about the intentions of the Bihar government that intends to kill two birds with one stone — to encourage a health drink extracted from the sap of palm tree and generate jobs in rural Bihar.

Bihar government has entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, for transfer of technology and processes for extraction of Neera (padaneer), a drink extracted out of the sap of a palm tree.

Considered a food item under the Constitution, the neera could well provide the answer to satisfy a whole lot of tipplers as it is just one step closer to turn it into an intoxicating liquid that cheers.

Or so, Bihar hopes.

In its unfermented state, Neera is a health drink. But, fermented it turns into an intoxicating and heady concoction that has been traditionally popular in rural India.

Bihar’s search for newer, better technologies to extract liquid from the sap of palm trees and maximize its manufacture by processing it brought it to the TNAU.

Years of research by the TNAU into manufacture non-alcoholic health drink – neera extracted from the sap of a palm tree that is free of lime and any sort of preservative and stays unfermented – has made its researchers perfect the technique and technology.

What earlier used to be traditionally stored in mud and earthen pots and drunk out of the boat shaped palm leaves today has acquired a sexed up status – a marketed bottled drink. It is just one step short of toddy – an intoxicating concoction.

What the agriculture scientists at the Coimbatore have done is to fortify the extraction process. “This was not the case in the traditional method,” said a senior scientist engaged in the research said.

This non-fermented concoction has health benefits to the diabetics as it is fructose and not sucrose that is contained in the drink. Traditionally, it has been used as a relief for tuberculosis and chest pain.

Manufacture of Neera on a mass scale will also help traditional toddy extractors towards a new alternative – which include value added items like palm sugar and candy, the scientist said.

It is for this Neera that Bihar has tapped into the TNAU and has signed the MoU, under which it would get to learn the processes and technology for manufacture of Neera.

Bihar has rich palmyra vegetation and mass production of Neera will translate into rural employment. In Tamil Nadu, Virudunagar district and Pollachi are focusing on Neera production, the scientist said.

Nallasamy, secretary to Tamil Nadu Agriculturists Association and field organizer of Tamil Nadu Toddy Federation, said Neera or sweet toddy and fermented toddy come within the ambit of food according to the Constitution.

“The government must encourage toddy production as a safe alternative to liquor,” Nallasamy said adding “this would also help the Tamil Nadu government in its prohibition strategy.”

In Tamil Nadu, toddy is banned but the trade goes on illegally on the sly.