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FOCUS ARTICLE

marketing and supply to consumers. It
is consumed directly or used for
preparation of sweet confectionery
items and traditional (ayurvedic)
Exploring Jaggery Production medicines. The micronutrients present
in jaggery posess anti-toxic and anti-
for Prosperity in Rural Areas carcinogenic properties.
Magnesium in jaggery strengthens
the nervous system and potassium
maintains the acid balance in cells.
The jaggery industry has been one of the most ancient and important rural- Jaggery is rich in iron and helps prevent
based cottage industries in our country — By Dr Som Dutt anemia in women. Intake of jaggery in
the diet can prevent the atmospheric
Jaggery, popularly known as gur, is a vicinity with minimum capital pollution related toxicity and may have
golden yellow to dark brown, coarse investment. It also has higher medicinal a role to reduce the chance of lung
in texture, wholesome, traditionally and nutritional values and easily cancer. Traditionally referred to
used and unrefined sugar, obtained by available to the rural people. Also, it sugarcane jaggery, it is prepared from
concentrating sugarcane juice. It is may not be possible for sugar sugarcane juice. Besides sugarcane
produced almost in 25 countries under factories alone to meet total demand juice, jaggery is being made from other
different names with a total production of sweeteners with increase of the sources, like sap collected from
of 13 million tonnes per year. India is population. It is, therefore, essential to different palm trees. All these jaggery
the largest producer of jaggery under have its own characteristic taste and
unorganized agro-processing sector, aroma. Sixty to seventy percent of the
sharing 55% of the total world In Brief total jaggery comes from sugarcane
production, followed by Colombia  India is the largest producer while remaining 30% comes from
(11%). palms.
INDIAN TREND AT JAGGERY of jiggery under unorganized Jaggery is available in the market
PRODUCTION agro-processing sector. mainly in three forms namely solid
About 14.2% of the total sugarcane  India accounts for 55% of the jaggery, liquid jaggery and granular
produced in India is being utilized for total world production, jaggery. Of the total production of
making jaggery and khandsari (a followed by Colombia (11%). jaggery in India, approximately 80% of
mixture of crystalline sugar and  About 14.2% of the total the jaggery is prepared in solid form
molasses) (2016).In India, Uttar sugarcane produced in India while the remaining 20% is prepared in
Pradesh is the major producer of is being utilized for making liquid as well as granular form. Liquid
sugarcane jaggery followed by Tamil jaggery and khandsari. jaggery is a part of diet in most parts
Nadu.  Of the total world production, of Maharashtra and is gaining
The usefulness of jaggery has been more than 60% of the jaggery commercial importance. The liquid
recognized at the international level. Of is being produced in India. jaggery is being utilized as sweetening
the total world production, more than agent in foods and drinks in
60% of the jaggery is being produced  It is consumed directly or Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Andhra
in India. As the major producer of used for preparation of sweet Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Jaggery, the country has recognized as confectionery items and The preparation of quality jaggery
one of the leading traders and traditional medicines. is mainly affected by cultivation
exporters of Jaggery to the world. practices of sugarcane and its
India exported 2,92,212 tonnes of jag manufacturing process. The selection
gery and confectionery products worth safeguard the interest of jaggery of cane variety, soil conditions, time
of Rs 1289.2 crore during 2015-16. manufacturing unit and improve and of planting, fertilizer application, time
Major export destinations during modernize the activities for more of irrigation, crop protection from pest
2015-16 are Nigeria, Kenya, United purposeful ends. and diseases, harvesting of cane and
Arab Emirates, Nepal and Myanmar, Development and modernization of post–harvest care of cane. Identified
according to a report in The Indian jaggery sector need support in terms sugarcane varieties with high sucrose
Farming. of statutory provisions and execution content are to be selected to prepare
The jaggery industry has been one of a clear-cut plan for setting up of quality jaggery. Well–drained and salt–
of the most ancient and important jaggery units in a group of sugarcane free loamy soils are well suited for
rural-based cottage industries in our producing areas, quality control sugarcane production to obtain quality
country. It provides jobs to laboratory at the district level and jaggery. It is preferable to plant the
unemployed rural people in their liaison with mega stores for it crop between January and March and
March 2018 Competition Wizard 65