Jaggery is a natural, traditional sweetener made by the concentration of sugarcane juice and is known all over the world in different local names. More than 70% of the total world’s jaggery production is done in India. It is popularly known as the “medicinal sugar” and is nutritionally comparable with honey.”
It is a traditional unrefined non-centrifugal sugar consumed in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Sugarcane is produced in a large amount in the country and India stands at the 2nd position among all countries in the world in sugarcane production in which the country exports more than 28 Lakhs Tons of sugarcane every year. Karnataka contributes more than 10% in total sugarcane production of the country.
The average cultivation of sugarcane in Karnataka stands at 48.96 million tones and is ranked fifth in the country and ranked 2nd in terms of productivity. The main sugarcane growing district are Belgaum (43%), Bagalkot (16 %), Bijapur (10 %), Mandya (5 %), Mysore (4 %) and Bidar also. Containing all the minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane juice, it is considered the healthiest sugar in the world. India is world’s largest producer of sugarcane.