Tiruppur: Sugarcane farmers in the Pollachi–Udumalpet belt have called on the government to extend financial assistance, technological support, and better marketing facilities to help sustain natural brown jaggery production carried out by a small section of cultivators at the cottage level, The Hindu reported.
Farmers who once supplied sugarcane to the Amaravathy Cooperative Sugar Mill have faced limited options since the unit became defunct in recent years. Officials said some cultivators have shifted to crops such as paddy and coconut, while others continue to send sugarcane to mills in other parts of the state.
A small group that has turned to jaggery production is now seeking government assistance to keep their businesses viable. Farmers said wholesale buyers purchase natural brown sugar at ₹55 to ₹60 per kilogram, leaving them with only a modest profit margin.
According to farmers, more than 40 percent of the sugarcane grown in the western region is processed into jaggery. However, many producers are not familiar with methods to clarify sugarcane juice without using chemicals.
As the colour of jaggery plays a key role in determining its price and market demand, most farmers continue to rely on chemicals during the clarification process, said a farmer from Udumalpet.
Officials from the Agriculture Department said they have been informing farmers about a technique developed at the Sugarcane Research Station of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Melalathur. The method uses a slaked lime solution along with an extract from wild bhendi as a clarifying agent to achieve the desired colour. However, officials noted that some farmers remain hesitant to adopt the new approach.
Farmers stressed that establishing a procurement system, sharing technologies to automate the jaggery-making process, and extending the shelf life of natural brown sugar beyond two to three months would significantly help sustain their livelihoods.
