It is a bumper crop for sugarcane growers of Mandya district this season, in spite of lack of rains and reduced waterflow in the canals. Yet, it has brought little or no cheer not only to the farmers but also to jaggery merchants. In a cruel twist of fate, tonnes of sugarcane crop are withering away in the fields as the factories are unable to crush them, while the cane transported to the mills for jaggery are no better.
The rate of jaggery has nosedived to Rs 700-800 per quintal from Rs 1,200-1,500 last year, says Prabhu, secretary of the Jaggery Merchants’ Association at the APMC.
 Usually, the demand for jaggery made in the district is very high, not only in the neighbouring states but also in the north. This time around, the merchants are a worried lot with the steep fall in price, despite a good yield this year. Most of them feel that the less than standard quality of jaggery due to non-availability of the requisite amount of water cost them dear.
Superior quality jaggery, known as Gujarat Quality Jaggery, which  fetched Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,500 during the same period last year is now going at the rate of Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 per quintal. Normally, Mandya jaggery was transported to West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. But the increased demand and bumper crop have not translated into profit for the mill owners, the merchants and most importantly, the sugarcane growers.
The merchants and mill owners, however, differ on the reason behind the price crash. According to Prabhu, a good crop in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra has resulted in increased jaggery production. Northern states are procuring this jaggery to avoid unnecessary transport costs. At the same time, the jaggery production in Mandya is only 20 per cent; this has naturally made the buyers turn elsewhere. Also, the yield this year has not been good due to the lack of rains and water. And the jaggery produced so far does not have the necessary consistency because of this. With increased transportation time, the jaggery melts and goes soft in the heat.
But the mill owners present a different story. Inferior quality sugarcane begets inferior jaggery, they say. According to them, there has been no change in the quantity produced for the past two years. However, the same cannot be said about quality, they admit.
At the same time, the industry is beset with labour problems. They are unable to find the required amount of labour. Most of the labourers are not willing to sweat it out in the scorching heat. Instead, they choose to migrate to Bangalore in search of jobs.
In the meantime, those who advanced some amount to the labourers have also been disappointed. Amidst all this confusion, the sugarcane growers are a worried lot as they are no longer certain about recovering their investment.
According to an estimate of the district administration, more than two lakh cane is awaiting crushing. The sugar factories are refusing to crush the cane for an extended period and the problems of jaggery have compounded the farmers’ misery; they have had to pile up harvested sugarcane on either sides of roads, in anticipation of lorries that will take their produce to the factory. It is a different matter, however, that there is no fixed timeframe for the arrival.
The sugarcane, meanwhile, is withering away in the scorching heat. So are the dreams and enthusiasm of farmers...
Translated by B S Srivani