Chennai: Coconuts touch unreachable rates as supply dips

CHENNAI: The sales of coconuts have dipped in the wholesale market due to short supply and a doubling of prices. The retail rates have reached as high as Rs 80 per kg.

The coconut stock to Chennai arrives mainly from Pollachi, Cuddalore, Puducherry, Thanjavur and Udumalpet. "Tamil Nadu coconut has good quality. In the wholesale market, coconut is sold for Rs 58-60 per kg, semi-wholesale between Rs 65-70 per kg and in retail for Rs 80 per kg in Chennai," said SS Muthukumar, president of Koyambedu Semi Wholesalers Association. Many coconut farmers are still reeling from the losses incurred by Cyclone Gaja in 2020 and a number of small eateries have started replacing coconut chutneys with mint chutney, he added.

"The government must interfere and fix an affordable. Then, the rate would decrease or there is a chance of a price hike by Rs 5-10 in the city markets. Coconut production is less in the state. Cumbum, Theni and Madurai are self-sufficient with supply and demand, but Chennai requires over three lakh coconuts every day."

N Thangavel, a coconut farmer from Pollachi pointed out that the dip in coconut production can be attributed to an array of diseases like leaf blight, and stem bleeding diseases, which were common in Kerala but for the past two years the crops in Tamil Nadu also faced the issue.