Following sugar, jaggery prices are rising all over India. Anakapalle in Andhra Pradesh is the biggest jaggery market yard in Andhra Pradesh, catering to Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and other states besides Andhra Pradesh. Jaggery prices are on the upswing at Anakapalle and the trend may continue for better part of 2010 if not longer.
At present, the daily arrivals are in the range of 15,000-18,000 lumps a day (each lump weighing 15/16 kgs) and the best variety is fetching Rs 318-325 for 10 kgs. Black jaggery (the inferior variety used in animal feed and for manufacturing country arrack) is also fetching above Rs 300 for 10 kgs.
Jaggery prices were good last year too, but this year they are touching a record level. At present, white jaggery is fetching Rs 320 and above, which is a record price. Steep fall in production in the northern markets such as Uttar Pradesh and also in the South Karnataka has contributed to the price rise here. Even in the other markets in AP, such as Nidadavolu in West Godavari, production has fallen drastically.
Drought in the State and uncongenial climate in the northern States were some of the contributory factors to the steep fall in production. The sugarcane yields in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and East Godavari districts had fallen due to drought conditions.
Since 1997
