KARUR: The price of jaggery has gone up ahead of Pongal season owing to high demand, even as people have raised concern over the poor quality of jaggery provided by the State through the Pongal gift hamper.
Jaggery is being manufactured in the Noyyal and Velayuthamapalayam areas of Karur. Manufacturers are working in full swing, making jaggery in large quantities.
While a portion of sugarcane cultivated is sent to the factory at Pugalur for manufacturing sugar, a part of it is sold to jaggery and brown sugar making units in the district. Though these units produce brown sugar in large quantities when compared to jaggery, the festival has made them increase jaggery production owing to high demand.
The manufacturers also expressed disappointment as the State, instead of procuring jaggery from local makers, has bought it from other States for the gift hamper, which turned out to be of poor quality.
Shanmugavel, a jaggery manufacturer from Velayuthampalayam said, “People buy either moulded or hand-made jaggery according to their preference.
We are making jaggery based on the demand. Due to the festival, we received orders in huge numbers from traders. So, we have stopped making brown sugar and doubled up jaggery production.” Parvathi, a resident of Vadivel Nagar, said, “The jaggery provided for PDS card holders is of poor quality that we have thrown it away. ”