Bidar, which used to be the fourth largest sugarcane-growing district in the State, is all set to lose the tag, as the district’s farmers, hit by the long dry spell and unstable prices offered by sugar factories, seem to have reduced cane cultivation.
Officials say this year’s harvest is just around 10 lakh tonnes, down from the average of 25 lakh tonnes over the past decade. This has hit sugar factories and the backyard jaggery-making units. Bidar has five sugar factories — three in the cooperative sector and two private units. Sugarcane is also bought by around 10 Khand Saris or mini factories that make diamond sugar and molasses.
Each of the big cooperative units eat up five lakh tonnes to make five lakh quintals of sugar every year. But according to officials, this year they have crushed only to around half their capacity before closing the crushing season. All three together may have crushed only 6-8 lakh tonnes. The private units and the Khand Saris together have crushed 2-3 lakh tonnes, a senior official of the Cooperation Department said.
When farm produce is in short supply, farmers usually get good prices. But not now, said Vishwanath Patil Koutha, a Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader. “Despite the scarcity, we are not getting a fair price. Factories are not offering anything above ₹1,800 a quintal, which was the price last year,” he said.
Domino effect
According to traders, jaggery prices are likely to increase. In the retail market, one bucket of black jaggery is selling for ₹45 a kg, while white buckets are selling for ₹65 a kg. This may go be in the ₹60-90 range in a couple of months, said Basavaraj Chatre, a trader.
Molasses is a highly regulated product as it is used to make alcohol. Despite the controls, its price keeps varying, depending on availability. Whenever less sugarcane is crushed, molasses becomes scarce and costly. This in turn pushes up the price of jaggery, he said.
Lack of skilled labour to make jaggery is another hindrance, say jaggery-making farmers. “This is the first time in nine years that we have not taken up jaggery making in our field,” said Mallikarjun Chowli, a farmer from Kolar village. “Labour wages are high and farmers are not selling us sugarcane. Whatever jaggery I need this year for my family, I will buy from the shop.”
