Telugu New Year spurs jaggery biz in Salem, Namakkal districts

Mar 14, 2020, 04.41 AM IST

Salem/Namakkal: The jaggery manufacturers and merchants in Salem and Namakkal are working round the clock to add sweetness to the Telugu New Year festival in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Expecting a good business, more than 1,000 cottage units that are involved in jaggery manufacturing in these two districts have upped the production volume. Presently, they are producing more than eight tonnes jaggery a day.

According to industry sources, there are more than 800 jaggery cottage units in Paramathi-Velur taluk in Namakkal district alone. They usually produce up to 2,000kg jaggery a day in non-peak season and 8,000kg during peak season such as Pongal.

K S Srinivasan, a jaggery manufacturer from Paramathi, said, “After the Pongal festival, there was no remarkable sale across the state. After a lull, the jaggery production has picked up pace now as we have started getting orders from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ahead of the Telugu New Year, which falls on March 25.”

The increase in jaggery production has helped the sugarcane farmers in Erode and Dharmapuri districts as well, from where these manufacturers are procuring the raw material.

K Shanmugam, a merchant in Salem, said, they were doing a brisk business. Pointing out that the jaggery from the Namakkal units would first reach Salem, which is the main market, he said, “From here, we will transport them to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through trucks. We are presently sending nearly 50 tonnes jaggery to the neighbouring states daily.”

The jaggery price has also shot up in tandem with the increase in demand. While a pack of 30kg jaggery was priced at Rs 900 after the Pongal, the same now costs Rs 1,230. “1kg jaggery will be sold at Rs 45 in retail shops in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,” Shanmugam said.