Visakhapatnam: The price of jaggery has peaked to the season’s high at Anakapalle, one of the major markets in the country, ahead of Ugadi festival. The sharp rise seems to be a result of the gap in demand and supply. The prices shot up to Rs 425 from Rs 300 per 10 kg. Prices of low grade jaggery touched Rs 380 from Rs 270 per 10 kg. The prices in the retail market ranged between Rs 55 and Rs 65 per kg depending on the quality.
Though the jaggery season started in November 2016, the demonetisation hit the jaggery makers and traders hard because the production came down due to shortage of liquid currency. The current jaggery seasons will end by April. The present market scenario indicates that the prices will further increase in the coming days. Call it falling sugarcane cultivation, shortage of workers in jaggery making or lack of interest among farmers to produce jaggery, the arrival of jaggery lumps at Anakapalle market has been falling for the past few years with prices soaring. The Anakapalle market received around 29 lakh lumps each of 10 kg to 15 kg in 2015-2016 season. During the current season (November 2016-April 17), it is likely to receive about 24 lakh lumps only, said Sharath Kumar K.V., a third generation trader in the business.
Anakapalle jaggery market in Vizag district is the second largest in the country. The product is being exported to other states like Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. The traders used to store jaggery lumps in cold storages and export during festive seasons such as Vinayaka Chav-iti, Dasara or Diwali. The sweetest jaggery has turned bitter for consumers and jaggery producers in the state as the input cost for the product has increased due to various reasons. If the trend continued, jaggery will turn dearer in the coming years, said P. Santhosh Kumar, a consumer.
