Jaggery business is a relatively unknown small scale cottage industry in India. It is also known as gur or jaggery business. in India production of sugarcane into white sugar is 53%, jaggery 36%, seed cane 8%, chewing 3%.Jaggery is a traditional unrefined sugar consumed in Caribbean’s, Africa, Latin America and Asia, made from preserved sugarcane seeds using age old techniques. Over 70% of world production of jaggery is made in India especially Maharashtra and Kolhapur.

What is Jaggery?

Available in solid blocks jaggery is the concentrate of sugarcane juice. Other sources are sap of sago-palm, wild date palm, palmyra-palm and coconut-palm. The natural traditional sweeter made from concentration of sugarcane juice is regarded as healthier sugar.

Rice Farming

Types of Jaggery

There are a few types of jaggery products in the market. We have the organic palm jaggery, palm jaggery, jaggery crystals, and natural jaggery. Others are liquid jaggery, native palm, flavored jaggery and jaggery Chikki.

Types

• organic palm jaggery
• palm jaggery
• jaggery crystals
• natural jaggery
• liquid jaggery
• native palm
• flavored jaggery
• jaggery Chikki.

Palm jaggery

Palm jaggery is all natural sun dried packaged in 10-100kg packs. Composition is organic made from date palm color brownish. It costs from Rs 350.00 / Kilogram (Approx) to Rs 400.00 / Kilogram (Approx.).This natural sweetener is easy to digest non-harmful block. It is used in tea, sweets or medicine.

Liquid jaggery

Liquid jaggery is 100% pure and made from sugarcane. It is liquid in form brownish and easy to digest. Retail it sells at Rs 70.00 / 500 ml 

Natural Jaggery

Natural Jaggery is used in beauty=y products with shelf life of 6-9 months. Made from sugarcane it is brownish in color and comes in block form.

Native palm jaggery and flavored jaggery

Native palm jaggery is not harmful, easy to digest. It has 31% moisture, 10% brix with shelf life of 6 months. Native palm is used for sweets and medicine. Flavored jaggery is made from sugarcane, cultivated organically, it is sun dried with a shelf life of 6 moths.

Processing Jaggery Powder

The process starts with the cane then it goes to cane preparatory. Next stage is the mill house, reaction vessel. Next is the clarifier that produces clear juice. The clear juice goes to the multiple effect evaporator, syrup goes to vacuum pan. Next crystallization, centrifugal to produce jaggery powder. The jaggery powder is collected in bins then packaged.

Making of Jaggery Powder

1. Sugarcane then it goes to
2. sugarcane preparatory
3. mill house
4. reaction vessel
5. clarifier
6. multiple effect evaporator
7. vacuum pan
8. crystallization
9. centrifugal
10. jaggery powder

Flow Chart

Cane – cane preparatory – mill house –juice-reaction vessel –clarifier – clear juice –multiple effect evaporator- syrup-vacuum pan – crystallization – centrifugal –jaggery powder- bin –packaged jaggery powder.

Benefits of jaggery powder

Benefits of jaggery powder are unique taste, easily dissolved rich in minerals. Recommended in case of iron deficiency, balances deficiency of sugar levels. Recommended in the treatment of lung and throat infections.

• unique taste
• easily dissolved
• rich in minerals
• for people with iron deficiency
• balances deficiency of sugar levels
• treatment of lung and throat infections

Process of making granular jaggery

1. rub concentrating slurry to form grains
2. then cool and sieve granular jaggery
3. achieve crystals less than 3 mm in size
4. raise pH of cane juice with lime (6.0-6.2)
5. striking point temperature of 120°C
6. high sucrose content of 88.6%, low moisture of 1.65%,
7. good color and crystal quality
8. sun dried and moisture content less than 2%
9. packed in polyethylene polyester

Packaging and Storage

Humidity reduces quality of the product causes infection and microbial growth. Local practices include use of hanging baskets or heat sealed low density polythene bags.  Other packaging solutions are gunny bags, open storage, refrigeration. Refrigeration or cold storage is the most effective method of preservation.

Packaging and storage of jaggery

• hanging baskets
• heat sealed low density polythene bags
• shelve bags
• polyethylene bottles
• gunny bags
• open storage
• refrigeration
• cold storage

Conclusion

Although Jaggery is a good alternative for sugar based products it is still relatively unknown. The industry is fast growing and a good source of income for local producers. Entrepreneurs interested in the business should approach relevant authorities for more information and guidelines.

a publication on jaggery business