Jaggery makers in Erode feel the heat due to poor demand for quality product

ERODE With a month left for the Pongal festival, jaggery makers in the district are worried as the d

With a month left for the Pongal festival, jaggery makers in the district are worried as the demand for good quality jaggery remains low.

Over 100 cottage units producing jaggery are located in Mullamparappu, Arachalur, Kavundapadi and Ammapettai areas in the district that are run throughout the year with a break of two weeks after Pongal.

Jaggery or ‘vellam’ made from sugarcane, is an essential ingredient for sweet pongal.

“Pongal festival is no longer sweet for us”, said R. Paramasivam, a jaggery producer in Mullamparappu. Adulteration, increase in labour cost, poor demand and low price for jaggery are issues of concern that have forced many owners to halt production, he added.

In most of the units, family members comprising three to five persons, work every day for producing jaggery for which orders are placed by traders ahead of Pongal.

“Last year, a jaggery bag weighing 30 kg was sold for ₹1,250. But, this year traders are asking for ₹1,110 a bag”, said a disappointed Paramasivam. Traders prefer low-cost jaggery available at various places.

The cost of sugarcane is ₹2,300 per tonne, while cutting and transportation charges adds another ₹2,000. “But the cost of white sugar is ₹50 a kg and most of them use it for producing jaggery,” said another producer.