Tender coconut prices soar due to dip in production

“When I started selling coconut water 55 years ago, the price of one coconut bought from Pollachi would be 20 paise. Now, it costs Rs 34. Taking into account the transportation cost, I have to sell one at Rs 50 to make some profit,” said R Rajendran, who sells coconuts opposite Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital.

He sells an average of only 50 coconut water a day in spite of selling on the main road. Customers usually turn down buying coconut water, citing high prices. “If a group of 10 people buy coconut water, it would cost them Rs 500. A year back, when the prices were Rs 20-30, people still used to buy in groups,” said a dejected Rajendran.

Perumal, a tender coconut seller outside Pachaiyappa’s College, buys coconuts from Pollachi and sells them for Rs 50. He manages to sell about 50-60 coconuts a day. “Customers are disappointed at the high prices and I am unhappy about low sales,” he divulged.

While many sellers stick to sourcing coconuts from Pollachi, others source from Puducherry or Cuddalore as they cost lesser. Suresh, who sells least 100 coconuts per day on Harrington Road, said, “I get coconuts from Cuddalore and charge Rs 40 during sales. People don’t mind giving Rs 30 - 40 to get some respite from the heat.”

Added Suresh, “Sellers on the main road source their coconuts individually from farmers, but there are businessmen who hire 10-15 sellers in Mylapore. They sell them at Rs 20 only because they guarantee a monthly income for farmers with tie-ups.”