Lacklustre demand pulls down jaggery

Despite low arrivals, jaggery prices at the Anakapalli market have declined by another 15 per cent during the current season. At the start of the season, prices had dropped 25-30 per cent.

Attributing this to almost nil demand from states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh, KLN Rao, president of the Anakapalli Jaggery Traders Association, said traders of these two states were preferring Chittoor, Kamareddy and Mandia markets as prices there had plunged significantly.

In mid-December last year, black jaggery was available at Rs 190-200 per 10 kg and the deluxe variety at Rs 210-215 per 10 kg, but today traders are paying only Rs 172 for black jaggery and Rs 180-185 for the deluxe variety. Last season, black jaggery had touched Rs 300-310 per 10 kg.

The season is also seeing lower arrivals. Usually in January 25,000-30,000 lumps (each lump contains 15kg) arrive a day, but currently 18,000-20,000 lumps are coming daily to the Anakapalli market.

Rao said local sugar mills were paying Rs 1,800-2,000 for per tonne sugarcane and this had affected jaggery production this season.

Traders, however, expect the price to rise from next month when they start purchasing jaggery for stocking, which can be sold after May-June.