Bumper harvest fails to cheer TN jaggery producers

COIMBATORE: A bumper harvest of sugarcane has failed to cheer up jaggery producers churning out huge quantities of the delicacy ahead of Pongal in Salem, the hub for jaggery production in Tamil Nadu.

Despite a good harvest, sugarcane prices haven’t come down because of soaring demand from mills manufacturing sugar that commands better prices than ever.

“Because of rains over the last two years, there is a bountiful harvest of cane. But cane prices haven’t come down, and cane is priced at Rs 3,500 per tonne in Salem for its premium quality, as opposed to Rs 3,000 per tonne in other cane harvesting districts of Tamil Nadu. Minimal use of chemical fertilisers by farmers in the Salem region makes it preferable for jaggery producers. Also, purchasing from other districts adds to transportation costs for jaggery producers,” said S Sathish, ex-secretary of the Salem district Jaggery Manufacturers Association.

Until a few years ago, the jaggery producers from Salem used to procure cane from Karnataka and Maharashtra to meet their requirements. Even after selling to mills to produce sugar, the farmers had cane in excess to be sold to jaggery producers. But they, too, now face a shortage as the requirement has exceeded supply. Sugar prices rose over Rs 40 per kg in shops against around Rs 32 a few months ago.

For many years, the price of sugar remained low before going up recently. Last year too, the price of cane remained the same, while they were sold for a lesser price in 2022. Cane is harvested in Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Coimbatore, and Dharmapuri.

The price of jaggery stays more or less the same as last year at Rs 1,320 to a maximum of 1,450 for one sippam, which is 30 kg of jaggery.

“In a worrying trend, jaggery production has come down from around 4,000 sippams per year to Rs 2,000 sippams due to the dwindling number of jaggery producers. From around 500 units churning out jaggery in different parts of Salem two years ago, the jaggery producers have plunged to less than 150 after the COVID-19 pandemic. In Salem, jaggery producers were spread over in areas such as Akkarapatti, Thottiapuram, Karuppur, and Kamalapuram,” R Saran Raj, a jaggery producer.

Only those who produce jaggery all through the year continue to stay afloat in the business, while seasonal players have shut down production.

The jaggery made in Salem is most sought after for its quality and superior taste. It has been a long-time demand to provide jaggery in Pongal kits through PDS outlets.

Following Tamil Nadu, the Puducherry government, which gave jaggery in Pongal kits last year, had also stopped it this year.