Sugar and jaggery (popularly known as gur) are well known as the most valued, traditional sweetener primarily obtained from sugarcane. The rising demand for sweeteners has brought focus on jaggery, an important cottage industry in economies of the nation for their implications on employment and income. As a traditional sweetener, jaggery is produced in small units using local machinery in rural areas. Jaggery is produced nearly in 25 countries with a total production of about 13 million tonnes per year. India is the largest producer of jaggery under an unorganised agro-processing sector, sharing 55% of the total world production, followed by Colombia (11%).
In 2016, about 14.2% of the total sugarcane produced in India is being utilised for making jaggery and khandsari (a mixture of crystalline sugar and molasses). In India, Uttar Pradesh is the major producer of jaggery, followed by Tamil Nadu. The importance of jaggery has been recognised at the international level. Of the total world production, more than 60% of the jaggery is being produced in our country. As the major producer of jaggery, the country is recognised as one of the leading traders and exporters in the world.
Jaggery making is one of the most important agro-processing industries and the sub-tropical climate is conducive to cultivate sugarcane, which is also used in jaggery making. Given changing market scenarios, consumers' preferences, and global competitions, new income-generating opportunities need to be created through crop and product diversification in sugarcane ‘Produce to Product Chain’ (Lal and Singh, 2004). Sustainable sugarcane farming is intended to meet society’s sweeteners, food, energy, and bio-fuel needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Practitioners of sustainable sugarcane farming seek to integrate three main objectives into their work: a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.
Jaggery is a bank of vitamins and minerals. It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The jaggery made by using natural clarificant is delicious golden in colour and a prominent source of energy. Because having high vitamin C, vitamin A, and other minerals, it can act as a vehicle to fight iron and vitamin deficiency. The presence of micro-nutrients in jaggery possesses anti-toxic and anti-carcinogenic properties. Potassium maintains the acid balance in cells and magnesium in jaggery strengthens the nervous system.
Value addition of organically processed jaggery:
To fetch the high prices and considering the health issues, the following products additions in the jaggery may be abetted:
Giloy (Tinispora cordifolia), Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi), Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Linseed (Linum usitatissimum), Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), Moringa (Moringa oleifera), Cashew nut (Anacardium Occidentale), etc. in powder form can be used in jaggery cubes.
Million Rupees Model
By all means of sugarcane production and supply to the sugar mills, a farmer is earning only Rs 164154/ ha of income. The roadmap to achieve the higher income by sugarcane farmers is paved by efficient post-production management viz. processing and marketing. This also makes a farmer self-reliant. Preliminary objectives to enhance the income of farmers along with maintaining the sustainability of the production system the concept of crop diversification was introduced. This concept led to the inclusion of several intercrops with sugarcane depending on the consumers' preferences, market demand, and resource availability/use. The concept proved a foolproof avenue for enhancing the income more than double.
Along with the crop diversification, experiments on product diversification by the processing of sugarcane for the production of jaggery was conducted at Sugarcane Research Institute, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, with the objective to enhance the net return per unit area by production and processing of sugarcane and making a farmer self-reliant. Jaggery plays an important role in meeting the sweetener demand of the nation. This has many nutritive advantages over white sugar. After Pandemic Covid-19, consumers focussed on the use of jaggery as a component of many of the food and beverages like Chyawanprash and decoctions (Kadha), predominantly used as immunity-boosting sequels. Now the concept of product diversification as jaggery making may prove another avenue for further increase in farmer’s income besides long term engagement of the migrant labourers.
This concept also helps to make the farmer self-reliant. Jaggery is produced conventionally through the process of heating purified cane juice by employing about 10 semi-skilled workers. The traditional jaggery fetches very low prices in the market due to improper use of clarificants and accumulation of high impurities results in poor quality. Subsequently, fallacious shaping and packaging, inadvertent to food safety norms, and unorganized marketing further adds to its disparagement.
Hence, by using this model a farmer can earn more than 10 lakh rupees from one hectare of land in a particular season.
Conclusion:
Employment generation for the migrants is the priority of the Government. The quality jaggery produced can be sold out at a higher price in the wholesale market. Hence, by adopting the technology, the farmer can enhance their income by selling the value jaggery at Rs.100-120/kg instead of Rs.60/kg (the price of traditionally made jaggery). The socio-economic impact of jaggery cottage may be ruled out because of its contribution to rural development. It will improve the product quality, hygiene, and market access to reap the economic benefits of premium jaggery products in the market. Hence, adopting modern technology for jaggery processing will certainly a fruitful step towards the goal of doubling the farmer’s income in our country.
(Content shared by Sugarcane Research Institute, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar)