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ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

harvest it at its peak maturity. The phosphoric acid, chemiflocks and alum About one–third to half of the
inferior quality of jaggery is obtained are also reported. Use of these jaggery produced every year in country
due to delay in planting and crushing chemical clarificants is specific is stored for consumption during and
of immature or over–matured cane. All depending on the juice as they may after rainy season. About 5-10% of
fertilizers (N,P,K) should be applied as function as bleaching agent, electrolyte jaggery stored is getting spoiled every
per recommendation. The excessive or pH adjusting agent. year costing the nation a colossal loss.
use of nitrogen reduces both quality Problem of using chemical The traditional lump for m of jaggery
and quantity of jaggery. Dead canes, clarificants is that in most of the cases, is inconvenient for consumer to
water shoots, spoiled and rat infested limit of addition exceeds the per mitted purchase for daily requirement. The
canes should be discarded before level. Vegetable clarificants like lump is made into pieces according to
crushing to prepare quality jaggery. mucilage’s of bhendi, chikani, consumer need, leading to loss of
Care must be taken to harvesting the kateshevari, moranga leaf juice extract, jaggery of about 10% resulting in
cane at the base of the clump, as lemon juice etc., were used in early unhygienic environment.
bottom portion of the cane is rich in period. But, because of being natural STORAGE AND PROTECTION OF
sucrose. Cane should be crushed material, now a days emphasis are JAGGERY
immediately after harvesting for given on such type of clarificants. Storage of jaggery varies from region
extracting juice. Afterwards there is Boiling should be continued with to region such as in earthen pots,
reduction in cane weight (5-8%) and removal of scum from time to time. wooden boxes, and metal drums.
juice (2%). Cane juice continues to boiling until Sometimes, without any container,
The sugarcane juice is an opaque it becomes thick syrup with timely heap of jaggery is just kept covered
liquid and varies in colour from grey removal of scum. Small quantity of with cane trash, bagasse, wheat straw,
dark green to light yellow depending edible oils is added to prevent frothing cotton seed, furnace ash, palmyra leaf
upon the colour of cane. In addition to during boiling after removal of entire mat, rice husk etc., to protect the
various nutritional constituents, it also scum. At the point, temperature plays jaggery from ambient humidity.
contain mud, wax and several other a major role for moulding of this syrup In respect of the shape and size,
soluble and insoluble impurities. To into different forms of jaggery. The jaggery deteriorates fast and become
maintain proper quality in jaggery, all temperature at which cane juice slurry watery within 3 or 4 months because
these soluble and insoluble undesirable is modified into jaggery is known as of presence of moisture, invert sugar
fractions should be removed. striking point. The striking point varies and its hygroscopic nature. The
However, manufacturing process from product to product. After cane hygroscopicity arises from non-
depends on ultimate form to be juice syrup attained desired striking sucrose constituents like glucose,
produced. The minute detail of process point, jaggery charge is brought down fructose, protein etc. For good keeping
varies widely from state to state. from furnace, allowed for natural quality, moisture content of jaggery
In general, jaggery quality, cooling for at least 15 - 20 minutes. should not exceed 6 % and it should
storability and its acceptability depend After natural cooling the jaggery charge be kept at a relative humidity of 43–61
on clarity of juice used in preparation. (consolidated syrup) is moulded into %. It is very difficult to store jaggery in
The juice collected from settling tank desired forms. After solidification, monsoon, especially in coastal areas
is further clarified during the boiling moisture content of solid jaggery of high rainfall and humidity. About 5-
stage. It is mostly done by using lime, reduces to 10-12%. 10% of stored jaggery is spoiled every
calcium hydroxide addition. This lime Jaggery is prepared in different year, leading to a loss of 800 million.
addition simultaneously increases the shapes and sizes in solid form in Cold storage godowns are being used
normal pH of juice 5.2 - 5.4 (which different parts of the India. Some of in West Godavari and Visakhapatnam
depend on harvesting status, variety the common shapes are balls districts of Andhra Pradesh, Kolhapur
of cane and soil condition) to around (250grams - 2Kg), bucket–shaped district of Maharashtra and
6.0–6.4. lumps (10-20Kg), trapezoidal lumps Muzaffarnagar area in Uttar Pradesh.
Addition of lime also improves the (4-5Kg), rectangular blocks etc. The inherent moisture content
consistency of jaggery by increased Jaggery prepared in any forms gets present in the traditional solid jaggery
crystallization of sucrose, but at the deteriorated fast because of its high leads to development of microbes
same time it darkens the colour if initial moisture content (10-12%) and causing spoilage and limiting its shelf-
added in excess. One kg of lime (with hygroscopic nature. It is difficult to life for a period of 3-4 months. The
purity of 80-90%) is mixed with four store jaggery during monsoon season semi-solid jaggery mass is sheared
litres of water, and about 60-70 ml of especially in coastal areas. The into small granules. Then, moisture
the resulting solution, milk of lime is hygroscopic nature of jaggery is due content of granular jaggery is reduced
proportionate to every 100 kg of cane to its non sucrose constituents like to 1-2% (db) by drying from initial
juice. Among other chemical clarificant, glucose, fructose, proteins etc. which moisture content of 10-12% and
hydros is the next preferred by farmers. absorbs moisture from the packed in 400 gauge polythene sheet
However, hydro being a bleaching atmosphere and run into liquid, thereby or polyethylene terephthalate bottles
agent has a decolourisation effect. making the product unfit for for safe storage.
Addition of superphosphate, consumption. (PTI Feature)

66 Competition Wizard March 2018