Sugarcane’s Special Place In Ponggal As demand Rises Nationwide

By N.Kuvineshwaren

BANTING, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- As sweet Ponggal rice simmers in a clay pot, its rich aroma filling the air, stalks of sugarcane remain a familiar sight at the doorsteps of Tamil homes, standing tall as a symbol of hope, gratitude and the sweetness of life.

With the arrival of Ponggal, the harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil community nationwide, demand for sugarcane rises sharply each year, keeping traders busy in the days leading up to the festivities.

For sugarcane trader K. Kasturi, 31, although the crop is sold year-round, including as fresh juice, demand peaks in the weeks ahead of Ponggal, particularly in January.

“We sell sugarcane every month, but as Ponggal approaches, demand increases significantly because it is used in religious rituals, home decorations and community events,” she told Bernama when met at her sugarcane farm in Kampung Olak Lempit here.

According to Kasturi, sugarcane holds deep symbolic meaning during Ponggal, representing the sweetness of life and gratitude for agricultural abundance, as well as appreciation to the Sun God.

Placing sugarcane at the entrance of homes or around the Ponggal pot, she said, is akin to offering a prayer for prosperity and sustenance to continue flowing throughout the year.

On demand for her produce, Kasturi said her customers range from families, temples and community organisers to buyers from Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and even Singapore.

She said the family-run sugarcane venture initially began on just one hectare of land before expanding to three hectares today, in line with growing demand over the years.

Although professionally trained as an accountant, Kasturi chose to manage her in-laws’ farming business out of interest and a sense of responsibility, while continuing a legacy built over time.

The first sugarcane planting cycle takes about a year before harvest, while subsequent harvests require a shorter period of around three to four months, she said. 

Sharing this year’s Ponggal outlook, Kasturi said demand for sugarcane has risen compared to last year, reaching about 10,000 stalks, though production has been affected by unpredictable weather.

“Due to unstable weather conditions, this year’s yield dropped to around 4,000 stalks compared with about 6,000 stalks last year,” she said.

She said that weather changes, particularly irregular rainfall, have had a significant impact on soil quality, making it more challenging to produce healthy, high-quality sugarcane.

Kasturi also noted that there are two commonly used types of sugarcane in Malaysia, yellow and black, with black sugarcane more sought after during Ponggal due to its sweeter and crunchier texture, which also makes it more expensive than the yellow variety.

Ponggal is a thanksgiving festival observed by the Tamil community to express gratitude to God for a bountiful harvest and is celebrated on the first day of the Tamil month of Thai, which usually falls in January.

The four-day celebration begins with Bhogi, followed by Thai Ponggal, marked by the preparation of sweet rice, then Mattu Ponggal to honour livestock, and concludes with Kaanum Ponggal.

-- BERNAMA