The lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic has affected the jaggery production and its business along with the sugar sector.
In Uttar Pradesh, along with giving cane to sugar mills, few some sugarcane producers sell their produce to jaggery units. Currently, due to lockdown, the small jaggery units are not operational and the farmers are left with no option but to send their cane to sugar mills for crushing.
The workers of the jaggery units have returned to their homes due to coronavirus and the jaggery sector is facing severe crisis to start their operations.
According to the experts, in this season, 1080 to 1120 LMT sugarcane is likely to be crushed, more than the previous estimation of 1070 to 1080 LMT. And the sugar production may touch upto 125 LMT or more.
The jaggery was mainly sold in local markets and urban areas, but due to lockdown the demand fall drastically, and the jaggery industry is also facing financial scarcity.
