VISAKHAPATNAM: Restrictions on sale of jaggery in Telangana to check illicit liquor manufacture has severely impacted the Anakapalle jaggery market in the district. The jaggery sales at Anakapalle decreased drastically over the past three years since jaggery from Maharashtra is flooding the market and increase in production in Nizamabad and other parts of Telangana.
The Anakapalle jaggery market, the second biggest in India after Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, is now crying for buyers. The Anakapalle market used to sell 30 lakh jaggery lumps a year and stands second in the country. However, during the past three years, the adverse business conditions affected the Anakapalle market.
The market used to meet 40 per cent of the total demand in Telangana .However, the Telangana government imposed severe curbs on the sale of jaggery. To check illicit liquor, the Telangana Excise department is implementing several rules like the identity proof of the buyers and details of stocks purchased and storage points.
The production has increased in Kamareddy market and there is rapid growth in Maharashtra. There is huge demand for jaggery during Sammakka Sarakka festival. The local traders used to buy jaggery only from Anakapalle market. However, this year Maharashtra markets reduced the price and registered an increase of over 90 pc during Medaram festival.
“With the Telangana government’s restrictions, Anakapalle market saw a downslide. Normally, we send about about 12 lakh lumps to Telangana. As many as 3,000 lorry loads of the lumps are lifted from Anakapalle market. However, till now we have sent only 900 lorry loads, mostly to Odisha, Bihar, WB and Jharkhand. Now we are expecting another 600 lorry loads in the current season,” said K Sarat Kumar, a trader.