8 months ago
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With Saraswathi Puja connected October 1, puffed atom (pori) makers successful the territory are moving circular the timepiece to conscionable highest festive demand. Despite receiving bully orders, producers accidental rising input and labour costs are steadily eroding their profits.
Over 40 tiny units, mostly family-run with a fistful of workers, are engaged successful production. While puffed atom is made year-round successful tiny quantities, request soars during the Puja play arsenic it is simply a cardinal point offered to the deity and distributed to workers.
Unit owners said orders this twelvemonth are stronger compared to past year, but accumulation costs person risen sharply. “The terms of atom has accrued from ₹3,300 to ₹3,700 per 50 kg bag. Along with labour, fuel, energy and transport charges, costs person astir doubled,” said a shaper from Soolai.
While a fewer units inactive travel the accepted method of roasting atom kernels successful a sand-filled oven, others provender dried atom into puffing machines. “Since it is labour-intensive and offers debased nett margins, galore units successful the metropolis person unopen down,” said a idiosyncratic who has been successful the commercialized for implicit 25 years.
The selling terms of puffed atom has besides risen, from ₹620 past twelvemonth to ₹690 per container now. Most units are successful the last stages of dispatching consignments to Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and different districts successful Tamil Nadu.
Producers enactment that galore industries and businesses, their regular buyers, person bounced backmost aft COVID-19 and are keen to observe the festival successful a expansive manner. “For Saraswathi Puja, puffed atom is ever the archetypal choice,” said a portion proprietor from Veerappanchatiram.
Some units run lone during the festive play and workers power to different enactment for the remainder of the year. Despite thinning margins, galore proceed accumulation retired of tradition. “Though nett is low, this has been our household commercialized for generations, and we transportation it forward,” said K. Murugan, different producer.
