Cold weather to hit jaggery output

Colder than usual climate this year is likely to hit jaggery output. The availability of the sweetener is set to decline 15 per cent on yield losses despite abundance of cane available for crushing.

Since the sector is largely controlled by unorganised players, no authentic data is available yet. Veteran traders in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest jaggery producing state, estimate a total output of 10 million tonnes as against 11.5 million tonnes last year.

Harvesting of sugarcane crop was delayed as temperatures were lower this time round in January. The temperature in New Delhi touched 7 degree, a 50-year low.

Sugarcane starts losing juice content, referred to as yield, if harvesting is delayed for mature crop.

"Although the climate has changed favourably, the yield cannot be recovered," said Bijendra Kumar Bansal, proprietor of Durgadas Narayandas, a jaggery trader in Hapur since many decades.

On a national level, Bansal said about 35-40 per cent of mature sugarcane crop is yet to be harvested. "With sugar mills claiming the lion's share, jaggery units will be left with lower produce."

Generally, sugar mills begin closing their units for the season in the first week of April. The season is expected to get an extension because of delayed start of crushing.

According to an estimate, sugarcane output in India is likely to slump to 320-330 million tonnes this year as against 370-380 million tonnes last year despite a 10 per cent increase in sowing area.

The climate, which is favourable now, has offered a breather for sugarcane farmers who have started harvesting heavily. Therefore, jaggery units are receiving more sugarcane, especially from Madhya Pradesh where sugar mills are in bad shape.

"Consequently, arrivals in Hapur and Muzaffarnagar, the two major spot jaggery selling centres in Uttar Pradesh, are likely to go up in the next few days," said Arun Khandelwal, president, Federation of Gur Traders in Muzaffarnagar.

Arrivals in these mandis are likely to go up dramatically to 22,000-25,000 tonnes and 15,000-18,000 tonnes from 6000 tonnes and 12,000 - 13,000 tonnes at present.

Due to supply constraints, jaggery has jumped 10 per cent in the last one week with price of gur chaku, the premier variety, being quoted in the range of Rs 445-480 per 40 kg while khudpa, another premium variety, being sold between Rs 425-435 per 40 kg.

Sugarcane farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are paid between Rs 80-120 a quintal for the cane below 9.5 per cent recovery.

As cane below this yield percentage cannot be supplied to sugar mills for crushing, because of unviability, they are utilised for jaggery production.