CHENNAI: Here's some not-so-good news for tender coconut lovers, this summer. Your favourite 'natural' cool drink is going to cost you dearly, with tender coconut vendors in Chennai, hiking the prices to `30 and more. And if you're looking for someone to blame, it'll have to be Mother Nature. Procurement of the much-sought after fruit from coastal districts such as Cuddalore and the adjoining Puducherry, has gone down drastically, thanks to the trail of destruction left by Cyclone Thane. Chennai receives tender coconuts from Cuddalore, Puducherry and Pollachi, where it is cheaper, compared to coconuts from the western parts of the state. According to market sources, the procurement of tender coconuts from Puducherry has dipped by 80 per cent this year, as compared to 2011. As most of the plantations were wiped out, vendors have turned to wholealers in Pollachi for coconuts. And cashing in on the demand, wholesellers there too have hiked the prices by `3 a coconut.“The supply of tender coconuts from the coastal regions was almost nil during this season,” Elumalai, a coconut seller at Saidapet said. He reasoned, “With coconut trees uprooted in the recent cyclone at Cuddalore and Union Territory, it has pushed the cost of tender coconuts at Pollachi skyward.” As a result, the prices of tender coconuts sold in the city have skyrocketed. City Express found that a tender coconut is sold anywhere between `20 and `30 in the city, and this cost is often `5 more in upmarket localities like Adyar and Besant Nagar. Residents may remember that tener coconuts were available for as low as `10 last year, while the most expensive fruits cost `20. For Raj Kumar, a resident of Koyambedu, the day never starts without consuming sweet coconut water. He lamented, “Now, we are shelling out way more to have a natural drink because we cannot afford to take a risk with our health.” Final bit of bad news: Coconut sellers have hinted that the rates are likely shoot up even further as summer really turns the heat on.
Comments
0 comment