Sugarcane and the toddy palm tree are used to make jaggery. Sugar made from date palm sap is more valuable and less widely available outside of the regions where it is produced.
According to district administration sources, jaggery is unlikely to be produced this year for the first time. The crushing season is expected to end by the end of April.
The Haryana Cooperation Minister had announced production of jaggery at the mills located in Palwal, Meham and Kaithal in November 2020. However, according to sources, the Palwal mill lost around Rs 50 lakh due to poor product sales over the last two years.
The loss on this account is estimated to be around Rs 12 lakh in 2022. Despite the mill's decision to sell the jaggery for Rs 50 per kg, it lost money due to poor sales last year.
However, an official claimed that jaggery production had not been completely discontinued. Last year, the Palwal mill crushed 17.26 quintals of cane.
The mill, which serves the Palwal, Faridabad, Nuh, and Gurugram districts, began crushing on December 2 and is expected to run until the end of April, crushing 32 lakh quintals of cane.
