With the onset of dog days, sugarcane juice sellers are back into business. There are about 20 sellers doting the Bandar Road from Benz Circle to Autonagar gate alone, and ubiquitous across the city.
While some like Rama Rao who has a stall opposite the Auto Nagar gate and are permanently into this business rain or shine, others like Srinivas near the NTR statue are seasonal. They set up the stall from the month of February to August, when the heat is on the higher side, and take up daily wage job in Auto Nagar or agricultural field during rest of the months.
According to Rama Rao, during the summer season the business is good and could vary between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 a day. But apart from the summer, business could be as low as Rs. 200.
Most of the juice sellers have set up their stall by obtaining loans from the banks. Gone are the days when the seller would put all his strength to turn the wheel of the crusher. Today, most of them are mechanised and run on motor.
Rama Rao says that each unit cost about Rs. 50,000. “The crushing unit cost about Rs. 25,000 and the motor is another Rs. 15,000. All inclusive with the shack it amounts to Rs 5,000,” he said.
When it comes to sugarcane, it is available in abundance, as both Krishna and West Godavari are hub of sugarcane. The cost of one tonne of sugarcane is about Rs. 4,000 and it fluctuates on the MSP (minimum support price). “We buy at least half-a-tonne, as the farmers will not sell less than that and it also works out cheaper for us,” said Srinivas.
Good for healthDuring summer a cool glass of sugarcane is not only refreshing but good for health. Freshly extracted juices contain live enzymes and nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body for quick nourishment. The juice contains a number of minerals such as calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. It also contains iron and vitamins.
