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| Goorkhandasari Industrial Cooperative Society, Arumanoor, Kottayam |
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If the farmers of Arumanoor still cultivate sugarcane long after the sugar mill at Pandalam has gone into extinction, the credit should go to the odd sounding ‘Goorkhandasari Industrial Cooperative Society’. This cooperative unit formed in the 60s under the aegis of Khadi Board purchases sugarcane from the farmers directly and helps them to produce and market molasses.
About 200 farmers, who cultivate 150 acres in Ayarkunnam, Arumanoor, Neerikad, Kongandoor and Punnathura, form the society, which has its own mechanized press and other machinery for the purpose. The farmers can barter raw sugarcane for finished molasses, which has reasonable demand and price in the market.
In addition to the spherical molasses, the society produces value added products like ‘geera molasses’, which is made by adding 25g Elachi, 250 gm powdered cumin seed and 50 gm dried ginger to 30 kg of molasses. It has a market in and around Kottayam.
The cooperative society is in the process of expanding the cultivation to more area, according to its president, Baby Varghese Cholamattam.
Molasses preparation at the Society premises
Courtesy: G.Viswanathan Nair, Karshakashree, January 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
