Jaggery traders brace for a dull season

Sugarcane belt reels under dry spell

Daily arrival to Anakapalle jagery market has gone down to 7,000 to 8,000 lumps, when compared to the regular 15,000 to 20,000.

Amid fears of lower sugarcane yield this season, arrivals at the Anakapalle jaggery market may come down significantly.

Against average of up to 25 to 30 lakh lumps, the arrivals are expected to be around 22 lakh lumps during the season. As of now, the daily arrival is around 7,000 to 8,000 lumps, much less compared to 15,000 to 20,000 in a normal season, says Korukonda Butchiraju, a senior trader of Anakapalle.

It is estimated that against a good season bringing jaggery up to May/June, arrival may close by March/April.

Deficit rainfall

The reason for the lower output is the prolonged dry spell in October and November. The deficit in rainfall during the two months was as high as 73 %. Against the normal of 292 mm, 62.2 mm was received. Even from June to September, the rainfall received was 681 mm against the normal of 712 mm. The adverse conditions will affect crop in 10 mandals of the district where sugarcane is grown and sugar factories are located. The normal extent is 35,108 hectares and during the current crop season it is 31,859 hectares, lower than the 32,153 ha in the last season, according to officials of the Agriculture Department. The crop is raised from June to February/March. To maximise returns on investment, farmers make jaggery and sell it at the Anakapalle market with an average turnover of ₹110 crore.

‘Dead’ cane

“With the lack of rain, the stressed sugarcane is hit by wilt disease resulting in ‘dead’ cane. The cane turns hollow, loses weight and as a result, tonnage comes down,” says M. Bharata Lakshmi, Principal Scientist (Sugarcane) of the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Anakapalle. In Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts, 50 % of sugarcane crop area is rain-dependent.

In low-lying areas where the crop is grown, the available water dries up and for lack of irrigation it also faces the same plight, she explains, adding the conditions lead to reduced juice output and in ‘recovery rate’ that is the benchmark for quality.