Acute scarcity of water and subsequent decline in the production of sugarcane have hit joni bella (semi-liquid jaggery typical of Malnad region) hard this year.
The cost has tripled over a year. The price of a quintal of joni bella has escalated to ₹9,200 from ₹2,800 in February, 2016. Joni bella is produced from the native variety of sugarcane, popularly known as kempu kabbu or konanakatte kabbu, under rain-fed method.
It is in great demand in urban areas, as it is considered chemical-free. While sulphur phosphate and other chemicals are added to sugarcane juice while producing other varieties of jaggery to give it a bright yellowish colour, joni bella was free of such additions.
The area of cultivation of sugarcane in the district has come down to 1,500 hectare in 2016-17 from 4,500 ha. The yield of sugarcane cultivated under rain-fed method is 40 tonne per acre. Around 1.5 quintal of joni bella can be produced from a tonne of sugarcane.
Thimmappa Naik, a farmer from Ripponpet, said last year he cultivated kempu kabbu in two acres, but halved it this year. Farmers will not benefit much from escalation in the price of joni bella as there is decline in sugarcane yield owing to moisture stress. The average yield per acre has declined from 40 tonne to 25 tonne in Ripponpet this year, he said.
Vinayak Hegde, marketing in charge of Kadamba Marketing Souharda Sahakari Niyamita, a cooperative society in Sirsi, said last year the society sold 3,500 boxes of joni bella each weighing 25 kg. Sales this year is not expected to cross 1,000 boxes, he said.
