Marayur jaggery, a traditional product from Idukki district, has fetched a new record price. The price of 1 kg of Marayur jaggery has touched ₹120 in the retail market. According to vendors, lesser production has resulted in the price increase. The price may soar further during the Onam season, they said.
Akbar Ali, who runs a jaggery production unit named Messa at Marayur, said that excess rain affected the production of jaggery. “In June last year, the Marayur area witnessed heavy rain, resulting in widespread damage of sugarcanes. The average growth period of sugarcane is 12 months. However, due to the heavy rain, harvest was delayed. The low production has resulted in the price increase,” said Mr. Ali.
G. Rajan, another jaggery vendor from Marayur, said that a large amount of jaggery is arriving from Tamil Nadu and is illegally branded and sold as Marayur jaggery. “The food safety wing and other agencies are not taking any steps to prevent the arrival of Tamil Nadu jaggery in Kerala. The retail price of the original jaggery has touched ₹120 per kg. Earlier, it was around ₹90 a kg,” said Mr. Rajan.
