Other States - Orissa   

A costly affair for kewra distilleries

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Losing its pull?: Kewra flower being sorted and graded at an extraction plant in Ganjam district.

BERHAMPUR: Increase in cost of production and their lack of bargaining power during marketing of their produce has started to worry the kewra distilleries in Gnajam district.

Four coastal blocks of Ganjam district boast of producing 90 per cent of economically viable Kewra flowers in the country. The essential oil extracted from the Kewra flowers at the local traditional distilleries has market throughout the country and abroad.

There are around 250 kewra distilleries in Ganjam district. But the extraction of this essential oil is a costly affair. This year the distillers are buying kewra flowers at an average Rs. 9 per piece. Only 30 to 40 grams of essential oil is extracted from 1000 flowers. On an average around 35,000 flowers have to be distilled to get one liter of essential oil extract called rooh.

These traditional distilleries are still using firewood for the distillation process. Steep hike in the cost of firewood during past one year has hiked the production cost of kewra distilleries. Ganjam district lacks the kind of firewood needed for these distilleries. It is got from Puri district. About a year back its price was Rs. 220 per quintal. Now it has reached 310 rupees per quintal. Natabar Sahu, owner of a distillery alleged that the state forest corporation is yet to make any arrangement for getting fire wood for the distilleries in Ganjam district at affordable rate.

On an average the production cost of each liter of rooh or essential oil is more than 2.50 lakh rupees.

But the distillers usually do not have much bargaining power when they sell this costly produce.

The distillers are yet to unite to form an association to fix the price of their produce. They depend on traders from Delhi, Kanauj, Mumbai, Agra etc for the marketing of their produce as Orissa is yet to have any scope for sell of this constly product and there is no industry here for its value addition. Mr Sahu said the distillers usually have

little bargaining power while selling off their produce to the traders coming from outside the state.

At times even the payments are made through installments although the distillers have to invest in cash to get the flowers and firewood for the costly distillation process.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Love for Bondas makes him write a book for the community
‘Aradhana Mahotsav’ from August 29
A costly affair for kewra distilleries
Quiz contest for students
Hopes of college takeover yet to materialise
Be ready to pay more for that fancy number!
Students want union poll put off
Concern over violation of norms by school buses
Special package for ryots
Dharna withdrawn

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu