Sales dip in Anakapalle jaggery market

Visakhapatnam: Anakapalle, one of the largest jaggery markets in the country, not only suffers a dip in the sale but also faces stiff competition from other states.

With a history that dates back to over 100 years, Anakapalle jaggery market earlier recorded a turnover of Rs 200 crore. But with jaggery makers from other states offering low-cost in required quantities, the Anakapalle jaggery market witnesses a steep fall in the sale.

At a time when jaggery makers from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are making their presence felt across various parts of the country through their customised product, the drop in the jaggery sale at Anakapalle is attributed to a variety of reasons.

One, Anakapalle-based jaggery makers are unable to customise the quantity produced to cater to the current market trends as they produce only in lumps. Two, jaggery makers from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are able to sell their product at a low-cost comparatively. Three, despite the quality of the Anakapalle jaggery continues to remain unparalleled, other states are opting for a low-cost product in different forms, including the powdered jaggery which is gaining momentum.

Normally, the jaggery season in Anakapalle commences from August and reaches peak between December and April. Here, the jaggery arrives in the form of lumps wherein each lump weighs approximately 15-kg.

A decade ago, 40 lakhs of jaggery lumps used to flood Anakapalle market. Since the demand used to be high then, bulk quantities were transported to West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. "At present, the demand is more for lower quantities rather than in lumps.

The sale has largely been impacted as other states supply smaller quantities of jaggery. The situation will be improved if the focus is on bringing out smaller quantities of the product," reasons K Rama Rao, a sugarcane farmer in Munagapaka.

Anakapalle market now receives 25 lakhs of jaggery lumps on an average. "Last year too, only 25 lakhs of jaggery lumps were received and we are not expecting any variation now as one lakh of lumps have already come down due to the pandemic-induced challenges," rues K Lakshmi Narayana (Peda Babu), honorary secretary of Anakapalle Merchants' Association.

Since the demand for the production of smaller moulds of jaggery has seen a rise, the association planned to source the moulds. But due to their non-availability, Lakshmi Narayana says, there is no improvement in the sale.

Also, with jaggery powder arriving from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, absence of powdering units are other worrying factors the merchants are concerned about. "Technologically, the traders need to upgrade themselves. Similarly, farmers too need to focus on implementing best practices for a larger production of quality sugarcane as per the guidelines issued by the concerned departments.

Close to 100 jaggery traders, plus 300 allied workers are dependent on the jaggery market in Anakapalle. When traders, farmers and the department officials work in tandem, the desired results can be achieved again," explains B Ravi Kumar, Marketing committee secretary.