Jaggery price in bear market this year

The jaggery price in Kyaukpadaung Township, NyaungU District, Mandalay Region remains bearish from the early toddy season.
Jaggery fetched only K1,200 per viss (a viss equals 1.6kg) in April, showing a small decrease of K300 as against last year. Regardless of Thingyan Festival, the demand is pretty weak this year.
The palm tree that bears the fruits is the female tree, and that has the stalks of the fruit is male palm tree. Mainly the male palm tree gives more date sap than the female tree. The male palm tree season is going to expire, and the female palm tree season is going to start. Yet, the price is on the downward trend.
There is a vast area of toddy palm farm in NyaungU Township. However, the jaggery cannot keep up with the sugar business. Moreover, the local jaggery business is less popular among young people. Earlier, all the villagers solely relied on toddy palm cultivation. At present, the number of toddy palm farmer dropped by half, said a farmer U Soe Win.
The toddy palm tree climbing is a traditional business in Ngathayouk town in NyaungU District. Yet, the industry is not financially secure. Consequently, the local people migrate to South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia for agriculture and hard labour. The growing number of migrant workers from Ngathayouk town are seen.
The toddy season starts in January and February in Ngathayouk town. The business is physically demanding but less secure. The toddy palm tree climbers and jaggery makers closely observe the market to produce the jaggery.
Jiggery price is declining. The local people from the central part of the country are struggling to survive from the production of jaggery and palm juice only. Sometimes, palm fruits are used as snacks as well as feedstuff. It was believed as a product with a low grade. Some trees were even cut down to use as firewood in the previous years. — KPD/ GNLM