MARKETING OF JAGGERY IN INDIA

ABSTRACT
• Sugarcane is an oldest crop known to man, a major crop of tropical and sub-tropical
regions worldwide. India is the second largest country in sugarcane production in the
world. Sugarcane occupies a pivotal position in agricultural economy of our country.
The industry it sustains is the second largest agro-industry of India, coming next to
the textiles. Sugarcane is a major source of raw material for sugar industries and other
allied group of byproduct industries. The economic importance of the crop is much
more that signified by its share in gross cropped area.Gur (Jaggery) is a natural,
traditional sweetener made by the concentration of sugarcane juice and is known all
over the world in different local names. It is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal
sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Containing all the
minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane juice, it is known as healthiest sugar in the
world. India is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery.Out of total world
production, more than 70% is produced in India. The methods of converting
sugarcane and manufacturing sugar, gur and khandsari are different but a great value
is added in the manufacturing of these consumable final products. Further it offers
employment opportunity to millions of people.Gur is prepared in all parts of the
country. It is also known as Gul, gud, Jaggery,Vellum and Bella.)
Introduction
• Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a vegetative propagated, perennial crop
which has a high leaf area index and a high photosynthetic efficiency under strong
sunshine, more than any other crop in the tropics Sugarcane is an oldest crop known
to man, a major crop of tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide.India is the
second largest country in sugarcane production in the world.Sugarcane occupies a
pivotal position in agricultural economy of our country. The industry it sustains is the
second largest agro-industry of India, coming next to the textiles.Sugarcane is a major
source of raw material for sugar industries and other allied group of byproduct
industries. The economic importance of the crop is much more that signified by its
share in gross cropped area (Bassham, 1978).
Jaggery
Gur (Jaggery) is a natural, traditional sweetener made by the concentration of
sugarcane juice and is known all over the world in different local names. It is a
traditional unrefined non-centrifugal sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America
and the Caribbean. Containing all the minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane
juice, it is known as healthiest sugar in the world. India is the largest producer and
consumer of jaggery.Out of total world production, more than 70% is produced in
India.The methods of converting sugarcane and manufacturing sugar, gur and
khandsari are different but a great value is added in the manufacturing of these
consumable final products. Further it offers employment opportunity to millions of

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 people. Gur is prepared in all parts of the country. It is also known as Gul, gud,
Jaggery, Vellum and Bella.
Manufacturing process of Jaggery

Stages of jaggery making

It is important to note the fact that even though Jaggery making starts with the
extraction of cane juice, it is necessary to cut and to bring the cane at the place of jaggery
making unit. Therefore sugarcane cutting and transportation are the two basic steps before
cane crushing. The other steps in jaggery making are as follows:
1. Extraction of juice from sugarcane This is done with the help of a cane crusher
presently improved designs of cane crushers are used which are by oil engine or
electric motors. About 1.5 or 2 tonnes of sugarcane is required to make a single pan of
jaggery. A pan of jaggery requirement depends upon the quality of cane and its
sucrose content.
2. Boiling of juice Once the juice is extracted from the sugarcane it is taken for
boiling. In all the villages of Kolhapur district open pan method is used for jaggery
making. Hence juice is boiled in open pans. These pans are made up of iron sheets
and are of 210 to 270 cms of diameter and about 45 cm deep. For better colour of
jaggery even galvanized iron pans or copper pans are used. After the juice is boiled, it
is heated on the furnace. Generally the baggasse is used as a fuel.
3. Purification of juice The juice which is heated and boiled releases out many
impurities that needs to be removed. Thus purification of juice is the main deciding factor for
colour, texture, test and durability of jaggery. For purification of juice the most common
purificants are used like lime, sucrate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sujji, super
phosphate, alum, sodium hydrosulphate, etc. Generally bhendi (ladies finger) is used along
with other purificants while juice is boiled at low temperature. It helps to bring the impurities
scum to the surface of the pan. This scum is skimmed out and thus the juice is purified.

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4. Concentration of juice Next step after purification of juice is concentration of juice which
is boiled at the striking point of temperature that normally ranges between 11.80 c to 12.30 c.
The proper concentration of juice is judged by applying one of the following methods:
A small quantity of concentrated juice is taken from pan and is thrown into cold water. If it
takes the shape of a ball with the metallic sound it is considered to be complete i.e.
completion of the process of boiling of juice.
At the striking point, if the boiling mass is stirred, it does not stick the pan.
At the striking point the sticking mass forms a long silky thread which does not fall in drops.
Thus, by applying one of the above methods to find the striking point or and appropriate
point of concentration of juice, the pan is then removed immediately from the furnace and is
stirred for some time. The boiled liquid jaggery (kakavi) is transferred into a cooling pan. As
the temperature falls, the jaggery begins to crystallize. By stirring the juice slowly and
intermittently to avoid the loss of granular structure, the semi solid mass is then put into
moulds when the jaggery solidifies it is removed by inverting the moulds. These lumps or
moulds are made to take the shape of a bucket of different weights. These buckets are of 30
kg, 20, 19, 10, or 5 kg etc. these buckets are of different size but uniform shape having
different weights of jaggery lumps. Even very small sizes of jaggery lumps is available in the
shape of small balls locally called modak or laddoes but are not very famous as other heavy
weighing lumps or moulds.

Types of Jaggery
1) Solid Jaggery 2) Liquid Jaggery

3) Granular or Powder Jaggery

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Value addition in jaggery
 Value added with different natural flavour:-
 Ginger
 Blackpepper
 Cardamom
 Lemon
 Value added with different nutrition:-
 Protein
 Vitamins
 Phytochemicals
Traditional value added products:-
 Rosagolla
 Peda
 Curd
 Laddu( puffed cereals)
Other products:-
 Toffee
 Cake

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Packaging and storage life of jaggery
• In India, the traditional methods of jaggery storage prevalent in western and eastern
regions like open storage, matka, gunny bags etc. These methods don’t work in Tarai
regions because climatic conditions are not favourable for keeping quality of jaggery
as there is very high humidity in these areas. During monsoon period, due to high
humidity range, jaggery samples get infected with microbial activity and thus keeping
quality of jaggery goes down. Jaggery samples could be stored in cold storage but
sometimes it is difficult to store the samples for small scale farmers as cost involved
is the main constraint for that. Jaggery from cold storage is used in off-season at high
cost .
Market Risk
Marketing risk is defined as the danger of loss from unforeseeable circumstances in
future. In the context of jaggery marketing, risks are involved from the stage of
making jaggery, till delivering into the market. Even after reaching the market place,
the risk are involved such as theft, fire, destruction, deterioration in the quality loss in
storage and transportation, on the losses due to price fluctuations, competition etc. on
the part of traders in the market. Thus, the risk is to be borne by the producer and the
middlemen at different stages of marketing of jaggery. There is no protection
provided by market yard to the goods against rains, sun heat, winds etc.
Traders/merchants are bearing the risk of deterioration in weight, and quality of the
product if stored for a long time, loss during transportation etc. Middlemen bear
higher risk on account of price fluctuations. However, some risk can be reduced by
insurance coverage and some by proper planning monitoring on the part of
middlemen and traders, Hedging and forward trading on the important methods to
overcome the above mentioned risks. Forward trading is trading in future or it is on
agreement between two parties who agree to sell and deliver and other who agrees to
purchase and receive acertain kind of quality of commodity at same specified future
date and time, at a specified price and according to the conditions of trading
prescribed by the organized producer or commodity exchanges.
Market Information
Market information is a pre-requisite for the consumers, producers as well as for the
middlemen and merchants to develop the business. In context of jaggery, appropriate
information is not available to the farmers and jaggery producers in villages.
Whatever information is made available through research stations or markets is not
followed entirely. The producers rely on commission agents or merchants for
information. Market committees give low priority in collection and dissemination of
market information. The government should initiate proper steps to provide market
information to all the marketing channels involved in marketing of jaggery at the right
time. This can be achieved with help of association and agencies running through the
market committees in the regulated markets.

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 Market Potential
• The demand for jaggery is steadily growing many folds in the urban, rural and semi-
urban areas. There are several applications of jaggery and almost all Indian
households use it on day-to-day basis. Market for jaggery is round the year whereas
its production is only during the sugarcane season and thus factory works for around 6
to 7 months every year. Apart from individual households, it is used in large
quantities in restaurants, road-side dhabas, other eateries, hostels and clubs and by
caterers. It has shelf-life of more than couple of months. Its production is undertaken
at several places but Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu are the
leading manufacturers. In view of constantly growing market, it should not be
difficult for a new entrant to enter and capture the market.
Institute and Research Stations working on jaggery processing
• AICRP (All India Coordinated Research Project) on Post harvest Technology,
• RSJRS (Regional Sugarcane and Jaggery Research Station), Kolhapur
• IISR (Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research), Lucknow
• RARS (Regional Agricultural Research Station), Anakapalle
• GBPUAT, Pantnagar
• VC Farm Mandya
• TNAU, Coimbatore.
Conclusion
• Indian jaggery industry is the largest unorganized sector which has been one of the
most ancient and important rural-based cottage industries in the country. The majority
of the sugarcane growers are manufacturing jaggery with minimum capital investment
which provides jobs to the unemployed rural people.The jaggery manufacturers are
mostly small and marginal farmers relying on quick returns from jaggery. It is,
therefore, essential to safeguard the sugarcane growers to earn more profit from their
jaggery manufacturing unit by improving its qualities through value addition and
packaging of jaggery and jaggery based products with modern technologies.
References
Acharya, S.S. "Agribusiness in India: Some Facts and Emerging Issues." Agricultural
Economics Research Review 20 (Conference Issue) (2007): 409-424.
Bassham, J.A. Photosynthetic productivity of tropical and temperate crops. Caribbean
Consultancy on Energy and Agriculture. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
November 29th , 1978.
Dilip. A. Pawar, Maruti. S. Jadhav, Charudatta A. Nimbalkar. Techniques and Advances in
Jaggery Processing: A review. Res. J. Chem. Env. Sci. Vol 5 [3] June 2017. 14-20
http://www.sugarprocesstech.com/jaggery-making-process/

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https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/review-on-recent-advances-in-value-addition-of-
jaggery-based-products-2157-7110-1000440.php?aid=51199
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297928542_Jaggery_-
_A_traditional_Indian_sweetener
https://www.ijcmas.com/vol-4-11/El-Geddawy,%20et%20al.pdf
Rama Rao IVY, Babu GSK (2011) Value Addition in Sugarcane: A critical analysis of various
consumables produced in Andhra Pradesh. Indian Journal of Sugarcane Technology 26:
51-54.
Yogesh Shankar Kumbhar (2016) Study On Gur (Jaggery) Industry In Kolhapur International
Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) Volume: 03 Issue: 02 | Feb-
2016
By Anubha
Assistant Professor
Discipline – Rural Management
GGIMS Begusarai Bihar
Contact No- 9792135881
Email ID- anubhaggims@gmail.com

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