Andhra Pradesh - Others   

TTD set to explore global market

Staff Reporter

TIRUMALA: The TTD management is all set to explore the international market to import the high quality saffron required for it, in the preparation of the much-sought-after laddu prasadam.

The temple produces 80,000 laddus on an average everyday in its `potu' (temple kitchen). The TTD board at its recently concluded meeting focussed attention on improving the quality of the laddu prasadam and as the first step in the direction, it recommended use of the costly saffron.

According to the temple authorities, the minimum requirement of saffron is four to five kilograms a day which amounts to 1,600 kilograms roughly every year. The cost of saffron in the domestic market is said to be in the region Rs. 5 lakhs per kilogram.

Spain favourite

Moreover, after getting indications that the domestic market may not have the potential to meet the requirements of the temple, the management has set in motion the process of contacting consultants at Spain -- supposed to be one of the largest producers of saffron.

Elachi in?

Besides this the management is inclined to include another ingredient - `cardamom' -- in laddu production the use of which was stopped owing to steep escalation in its price.

No doubt, with the inclusion of all ingredients the cost of preparation of laddu is likely to go up to Rs. 22, imposing additional burden on the TTD's exchequer every year. The TTD is already incurring a loss of Rs. 3.50 on the preparation of each laddu.

While the cost of preparation of each laddu is put around Rs. 13.50, the TTD is selling it at a subsidised price of Rs. 10.

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