Marayoor Sarkkara from Kerala



- Marayoor Sarkkara -
Jaggery Marayoor made

When a particular place is blessed with more than one natural gifts, some of them might be left unnoticed. This happens to Marayoor jaggery also. Though one of the sweetest jaggereis in the world, it has a bitter story to tell.

Marayoor is synonym of sandalwoods. The place is in the Kerala Tamil Nadu border where it is a rain shadow region. The specialty of temperature and the ph value of earth adds more sugar in the jiggery produced here.

When the jaggery traders and sugarcane farmers reached High Court, the court directed Travancore Devaswom Board to use this jaggery in its temples. The order was issued based on the analytical results of Marayoor jaggery. When the Marayoor jaggery undergone a laboratory analysis at Kakkanad Analytical Laboratory as directed by the High Court, it was found that the jaggery is one of the best having 97 per cent sugar in it.

But the misery continues as Devaswom Board which needs 1400 ton jaggery a year in Sabarimala alone, sticks on Tamil Nadu jaggery which is a little bit less costly. Otherwise it is sourly and below the standards of Marayoor jaggery.

In earlier days sugarcane was cultivated in 2500 acres of land. But at present this has shrunk to 1400 acre. Many of the farmers have left sugarcane cultivation due to increasing production coast and fall of prize.

For an acre of land to be cultivated, Rs.30,000 should be spent. But the total yearning from the land will be less than Rs.25,000. There are three reasons for the decrease of production. The scarcity of water, unscientific use of fertilizers and the white-fly disease. The whitefly affects the leaves of sugar cane and sucks out the juice. Thus the production decreases.

There has been no study conducted to find out a solution for these issues. If the Marayoor jaggery breaks its anonymity and turns to a special brand, the demand will increase and the crisis will subside.

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