Idukki: In a pioneering initiative, 150 tribal sugarcane farmers of Marayur and Kanthallur villages in Idukki have joined hands to set up a jaggery production unit and a company for marketing the produce. The newly floated Marayur and Kanthallur Tribal Farmers Producer Company Limited would manufacture Marayur Undasharkara, the traditional jaggery of exceptional sweetness, reports The Hindu.
This is the first time a farmers’ society managed by tribal communities has been formed exclusively for the value chain in the production and cultivation of Marayur jaggery. B. Anandan, a tribal farmer and president of the company, said 150 farmers from the Dhindukompu, Churakkulam and Mission Vayal tribal settlements were part of the Marayur Sandal Division.
“Earlier, the jaggery obtained by the tribal sugarcane farmers would be sold to local vendors, who often created problems both in terms of paying reasonable prices and ensuring market access. We ensure proper pricing and direct access to the market for our produce by cutting off the middlemen through this company,” explains Anandan.
As per media report, the company will market its jaggery under the brand name Marayur Madhuram, which will carry a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to emphasize its unique origin. According to Anandan, the production unit can process up to 1,000 kilograms of jaggery per day.
P.G. Anil, Associate Professor and Programme Coordinator at the Centre for Management Development in Thiruvananthapuram, stated that discussions are underway with stores and malls in India and abroad to secure a strong market for jaggery. “Sugarcane farming among tribal communities has been declining due to a lack of fair pricing and market opportunities, leading many farmers to switch to areca nut farming. Through this farmers’ producer company, we aim to revive sugarcane farming in Marayur,” Anil said.
He also pointed out that despite the popularity of Marayur jaggery, counterfeit versions are common in the market. This initiative, with its tagline “Purity from Nature,” will emphasize the natural quality of Marayur jaggery. The project also aims to diversify production by creating various by-products from the jaggery-making process, with profits directed to the participating farmers.
The project is part of the government initiative “Empowerment of Traditional Occupations Among Tribal Communities in Kerala (Sahyakiran),” funded by the Centre through the State Scheduled Tribes Development Department. The initiative directly employs 25 tribal members in the plant and provides indirect employment to around 300 more in harvesting and transporting sugarcane.
The production plant and brand will be officially inaugurated by O.R. Kelu, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes, at Dhindukompu, near Kanthallur, on Friday.
