Dark brown in colour and rich in iron, the jaggery made at Marayur in Idukki district is known for its fine quality, taste and distinct geographical identity. But the rising cost of production and stiff competition from knockoffs have bogged down the microenterprises engaged in its production.
It is against this backdrop that a collective of students has decided to reach out to the sugarcane farmers there, teach them how to match their product to foreign market standards and prepare them for export.
By students
The collective, comprising students from Amaljyothi Engineering College, Kanjirappally, seeks to bring the farmers and the jaggery producers under one umbrella, impart training in innovative practices and help the product gain access to international markets.
The project is being initiated under the One District, One Idea Initiative by the Kerala - Development and Innovation Strategic Council.
According to Sherin Sam Jose, principal coordinator of the project, it will cover the three aspects of process development, product development and digital marketing.
Mechanisation
“A framework of the project will be prepared through an interaction with the farmers and jaggery producers and an action plan will be finalised after a detailed review of the report by a committee of experts. It will explore options to mechanise jaggery making without breaking the natural process involved; make value additions; and launch an e-commerce platform, among other things,’‘ explained Mr. Jose.
The entire project, according to him, will be implemented within a year.
Commenting on the initiative, P.V. Unnikrishnan, member secretary, K-DISC, said strengthening of the micro, small and medium scale enterprises through the academic-industry-government interface can play a key role in economic growth and equitable development. “The objective is to ensure a transformation of these sectors from its current low-value regime to a high-value network,’‘ he said.
The K-DISC has so far identified 115 innovation clusters that can be projected as the identity of a district and has shortlisted 63 institutions for academic partnership. The agency also seeks to provide seed money for the innovation component and has sanctioned an outlay of ₹3.97 crore for the purpose.
