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Sweet news for sugarcane farmers of Marayur

BETTER PROSPECTS: Workers making jaggery at a production unit in Marayur

For the first time in many years, the price of Marayur jaggery, famous for its quality, has increased giving fresh hopes to thousands of farmers who cultivate sugarcane in Marayur area of Idukki district.

The price of a kg of Marayur jaggery is Rs. 25 in comparison with the last year’s price of Rs. 12 per kg.

Market sources said that the price rise was due to a severe fall in the arrival of jaggery from Tamil Nadu after rains destroyed thousands of acres of sugarcane cultivation there.

“Though the quality of Marayur jaggery is very high and it is famous outside, for years due to unsteady prices, many farmers have abandoned sugarcane cultivation.

“The present price rise will help the farmers who are unorganised and market their produce to businessmen in Kottayam and Changanassery,” Marayur panchayat president N. Arogyam said.

Sources said that over the years, many factors had resulted in the fall in prices of Marayur jaggery for which there was a high demand. “When jaggery from Tamil Nadu was repacked and sold as Marayur jaggery, consumers slowly drifted away and the demand for it declined,” said Sankaran Pillai, a sugarcane farmer at Marayur.

He said that Marayur jaggery had good demand and its price was a little bit high.

Mr. Arogyam said that though it was proposed to use Marayur jaggery at Sabarimala, no follow up action was taken.

If there is an effort to market the quality product and prevent adulteration, there is a bright future for Marayur jaggery.

Sugarcane has a 12-month period of growth and the season fluctuates.

Unless the price is not steady many farmers will not get the benefit, he said and added that the crop is harvested as matured sugarcane depending on the time of cultivation.

“Almost through out the year there is harvesting and if the price rise continues, farmers will be benefited,” he said.

The vast area of sugarcane cultivation in Marayur village makes it a scenic spot for visitors and many films have absorbed the sugarcane farmers’ life in Marayur. According to the Sugarcane Cultivators’ Society, the area under sugarcane cultivation has fallen from 2,500 acres in 2000-2002 to 1,200 acres presently.

The production of Marayur jaggery has fallen from 10,000 tonne to 3,600 tonnes in the same period.

Mr. Pillai said that the attack of pests and other diseases affecting sugarcane had prompted farmers to switch over to other cultivation.

“Four percent tax is given in the State for jaggery whereas in Tamil Nadu no tax is charged and facilities including electricity is provided to the sugarcane farmers,” said Mr. Arogyam and added that farmers should be encouraged to cultivate sugarcane and help should be given to them for marketing the real Marayur jaggery.

Giji K. Raman

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