Madurai appalam makers look forward to GI tag

With profit-making opportunities abound, appalam-making is no doubt thriving on domestic and international market, according to G. Thirumurugan, state president, Tamil Nadu Appalam, Vadagam and Moarvathal Sangam.

Appalam made of ‘urad dal’ mainly remains a favourite snack food globally. The manufactured product has a range of shelf life of three months and up to maximum of six months. With unique taste and quality, the Madurai appalam has a long history as a cottage industry product, being made in parts of Chinthamani, Anupanadi and Jaihindpuram. It was made in sizes ranging from two inches to six inches in 15 varieties. With a total of around 500 units relying on appalam production in Madurai, it has been generating a market turnover of nearly Rs 300 crore a week, Thirumurugan told DT Next on Monday.

Of the total production, about 65 to 70 per cent were being exported. This Indian edible variety was being shipped in large quantities to overseas countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and the Gulf. The finished edible products were packed in quantities of four kilos, six kilos, ten kilos, 20 kilos and 24 kilos for overseas shipments. For many domestic consumers, especially in Kerala, this item became an added breakfast dish and in Tamil Nadu, it’s a dish in main course of meal. Among districts in Tamil Nadu, Kanniyakumari, which is bordering Kerala, is the largest consumer of ‘Madurai appalam’. Besides, bordering districts of Coimbatore and Theni, are also consuming it considerably. However, there is a difference between ‘appalam’, which is soft and crispy and being largely consumed in Tamil Nadu, and ‘pappadam’ a similar product, which has a less shelf life of just 15 days, that tastes a bit hard and starchy, consumed in Kerala. However, disadvantage of this manufacturing industry is that scarce availability of urad dal, the key ingredient for making appalam, could not suit growing demands of this ingredient. Urad dal was the most sought-after ingredient, which was procured considerably in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka two years ago. But owing to its growing scarcity, the producers had been relying on Myanmar, from where urad dal was being imported. About 90 per cent of urad dal used for making this edible item, had been imported from Myanmar. A kilo of urad dal was procured at prices ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 90, depending on its quality. Citing these factors, he said the Sangam has sought the government to provide urad dal at subsidised price, Thirumurugan said

According to Urmila Umanath, an appalam-maker from Jaihindpuram, about four to five tonnes would be produced daily. While most of the production had been achieved by mechanisation, the rest was handmade. While a kilo of handmade appalam was sold at Rs 110, machine-made appalam fetched Rs 90 a kilo. With 70 workers in her production unit, about 90 per cent of them were women. Further, the 52-year-old woman, a Kerala native settled down in Madurai, said she was in the fifth generation tomanage it.