Jaggery traders move stocks outside Andhra

Anakapalli jaggery traders have begun moving their stocks to other states. During the current season, traders stocked about 2,200 loads (each load contains 10 tonnes) of jaggery against 2,800 loads in the previous season.

"We have started getting orders from Orissa and Bihar. Traders have already sold 100-150 loads in these states and expect to clear all stocks before September," K Buchi Raju, a senior trader in the Anakapalli jaggery market, told Business Standard. The 2007-08 jaggery season will commence from August 1.

At present, depending on the quality, traders are getting Rs 1.6-2 lakh on each lorry load of 16 tonnes . Buchi Raju said traders, who made purchases in April, would make good profits as the price was less, compared with those who bought stocks before April.

Up to March end, traders stocked only 1,700 loads of jaggery, but in the month of April, with jaggery prices coming down by Re 1 per kg, traders stocked another 500 loads. "This season, jaggery prices were a bit high compared with the previous year, because of which traders were hesitant to stock more despite the increase in arrivals," he added.

In the 2006-07 jaggery season, the market received 40 lakh lumps (each lump carries 15 kg) of jaggery against 32 lakh lumps in the preceding year.