The liquid jaggery developed by the Sugarcane Breeding Institute Research Centre (SBIRC) here is seen as an answer to adulterated jaggery available in the market.
The SBIRC, which houses the world collection of sugarcane germplasm, has submitted a proposal to the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) urging it to take initiatives to popularise the liquid-jaggery making technology through Kudumbashree self-help groups in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
By Kudumbashree
The proposal envisages commercial production of liquid jaggery by the Kudumbashree units.
“As a research centre, the SBIRC cannot have any commercial agreement with any agency for the production of the liquid jaggery,” said K. Chandran, Principal Scientist of the centre. Hence the SBIRC submitted the proposal to the KSCSTE, he said, adding that the institute could train Kudumbashree members in the production of the liquid jaggery.
Shelf life
Dr. Chandran said that the liquid jaggery had a shelf life of three months which could be extended up to a year if permitted preservatives were used.
The jaggery in syrup form could be used for all preparations in which jaggery was used, he said.
Harmful chemicals are used for making solid jaggery and manufacturers, sometimes, even use harmful colours.
According to SBIRC officials, Kannur and Kasaragod districts had a large extent of land under sugarcane cultivation in the past. The paddy fields left fallow for long years could be utilised for sugarcane cultivation now, they said.