Alangad jaggery in demand, farmers to scale up sugarcane production

The immediate plan is to extend cultivation to 25 acres by November from the current 15

- MANOJ VISWANATHAN @ Kochi

WITH the demand for Alangad jaggery registering a sharp rise just a year after launch of production, the Alangad Cooperative Society has decided to extend sugarcane cultivation to 50 acres in a bid to ramp up production.

While the jaggery brought from other states is sold at ₹60 to ₹70 per kg, Alangad jaggery costs ₹200 per kg. Yet, many temples and ayurveda medicine manufacturers have approached the society, demanding a steady supply of jaggery.

The immediate plan is to extend cultivation to 25 acres by November from the current 15, according to society president P J Davis.

Alangad, located on the banks of the Periyar, had a tradition of jaggery-making, which was discontinued around four decades ago. In 2023, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) contacted Alangad panchayat to revive sugarcane cultivation.