RAHIM YAR KHAN: The manufacturing of fake jaggery (gur made with sugar and chemicals) has been going on in many rural areas of Liaqatpur for the last few years bringing a bad name to the Liaqatpur Gur Market.

The grain market of Liaqatpur is considered one of the largest markets in Asia. According to sources in the jaggery business, the fake jaggery is called liba gur.

The production of traditional jaggery starts in September and concludes in April when sugarcane crop is available in abundance. For the last few years, many jaggery manufacturers started preparing liba gur in Chaks 19, 24, 25, 44, 45, 46 and 87 of Abbasia.

The main reason for manufacturing of liba gur is its low rate and availability in off season.

Initially, the traders of Liaqatpur Grain Market resisted the trade of the gur, saying that it was not good for health but later a few traders started its manufacturing to get maximum profits because of its less production cost.

Sources told Dawn that the traders who used to own motorcycles a few years ago, now had luxury cars, thanks to huge profits in the sale of liba gur.

The fake gur is available round the year in the market. A villager very close to liba gur mills said the gur was prepared with sugar juice, substandard glucose, expired jaggery and candies. Some millers also use non-food grade acids and marble powder to increase its weight.

Liaqatpur Grain Market trader Raja Imtiaz told Dawn that no regular trader from the market was manufacturing the substandard jaggery.

He said those doing the business of fake gur initially established their mills in different chaks of Abbasia but when FIRs were registered against them, they shifted their mills to rural areas of tehsil Khanpur and Sadiqabad. Traders buy liba gur at Rs2,000 to Rs 2,800 per 40 kg which reaches Rs3,500 in off season while the rate of good quality jaggery is Rs3,800 to 4,000 in the season.

Liaquatpur Assistant Commissioner Asif Iqbal told Dawn that unfortunately the local grain market traders had started making Jaggery with chemicals and sugar juice for profiteering. He said that they started the wrong practice because the jaggery prices were more than sugar.

He said he had taken action against some jaggery mills under the Consumer Protection Act. Mr Iqbal said a stern action was needed in this regard and the government should also plan legislation to stop further manufacturing of substandard gur.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2019