3 months ago
1
Sugarcane farmers successful Pollachi-Udumalpet belt, wherever earthy brownish jaggery is produced by a tiny enterprising conception of cultivators astatine cottage level, person sought authorities enactment done financial, exertion and selling enactment systems.
In caller years, farmers who utilized to proviso sugarcane to the Amaravathy Cooperative Sugar Mill, person been near with constricted options aft the portion turned defunct. One conception has shifted to paddy and coconut crops, and a conception continues to proviso the sugarcane to mills located elsewhere successful the State, according to officials.
A tiny conception that has chosen to manufacture of jaggery is looking for authorities enactment to prolong their ventures. According to the farmers, earthy brownish sweetener is procured by wholesale agents for sums ranging from ₹55 to 60 a kg, which they accidental leaves them lone with a meagre margin.
More than 40% of the sugarcane nutrient successful the Western portion is converted into jaggery, according to the farmers.
However, not each are conversant with the foodstuff clarification process for gur making without usage of chemicals.
Since the colour of the jaggery is simply a determinant of its worth and marketability, farmers, according to Nagaraj, an Udumalpet-based farmer, proceed to usage chemicals, by and large, successful the clarification process.
According to officials of the Agriculture Department, they person been apprising the farmers astir the exertion developed astatine Sugarcane Research Station, TNAU, Melalathur, for bringing astir the accepted colour done usage of slaked lime solution on with the mucilaginous extract of chaotic bhendi / bhendi arsenic clarificant. The officials besides constituent retired that determination is simply a grade of reluctance connected the portion of farmers to effort retired caller methods.
Farmers, connected their part, emphasise that putting successful spot a procurement strategy and dissemination of technologies for automation of gur-making process, and expanding support beingness of the earthy brownish sweetener beyond 2 to 3 months volition spell a agelong mode successful sustaining their ventures.
