Kumar Jeggery Manufacturing Unit

Our unit is at number 9 on Ponnuswamy Gounder Street in Perunthalaiyur. We are in the Kavundhapadi area, which is known for this kind of work. Making jaggery involves a lot of heat and heavy lifting. We have the pans going most of the day, and the smell of boiling juice is everywhere. It’s a family-run thing, mostly. We have a few workers who have been with us for years. The building is open on the sides to let the steam out. It gets very sweaty in there, especially during the peak season. We get the sugarcane brought in, and then the process starts. There isn't much to see other than the machines and the cooling blocks. We don't have a front office or a receptionist. If you want to talk to us, you just walk in and find someone who isn't busy with the pans. The floor is often a bit sticky, but that’s just the nature of what we do. We supply to local markets and some bigger traders who come by with their lorries. It's physical work and our hands are always rough. We just focus on making the blocks properly so they set right. Most days we are tired by the end, but the work is steady. It’s what we know how to do best here. We've been doing this since my father’s time and we just keep it going one batch at a time.