he price of tender coconuts has nosedived in all the 11 uzhavar santhais (farmers’ shandies) in the district, thanks to bulk arrival from the nearby farms.
The scorching summer has resulted in people making a beeline towards summer fruits and drinks and tender coconut is an automatic choice for all sections of society. More than 10,000 tender coconuts are marketed in the market in the district every day and the price ranges between Rs. 10 and Rs.20, depending on the size of the nuts.
Coconut farmers have witnessed a good season this year, due to which the price of the nuts have fallen sharply even in the main sourcing region of Pollachi, Perundurai, and Sathyamangalam.
The western districts of Tamil Nadu is said to receive about 1,200 bags of copra every day from the sourcing regions. Due to this spurt in arrival, the copra price has fallen to Rs. 53 per kg compared to Rs. 100 per kg a couple of months ago.
Consistent decrease in the price of copra is one of the reasons many growers are now leaning towards selling tender coconuts, says S. Krishnamoorthy, a wholesale trader of coconuts.
The farmers have been bringing a lot of nuts from the local farms in around Salem city and also other rural towns to the uzhavar santhais . While small size tender coconut has been priced at Rs. 10, the medium size nut costs Rs. 15 and the bigger size Rs. 20.
About 4,000 tender coconuts are being marketed every day in the Suramangalam uzhavar santhai , one of the successful farm markets in the district, and the Thadagapatti uzhavar santhai markets about 2,500 nuts.
A large number of consumers could be seen purchasing the nuts even before the break of dawn in the shops in uzhavar santhais .
In the make shift road side stalls and in the open markets, the tender coconuts are priced between Rs. 20 and Rs. 30.
The demand for tender coconuts is expected to further go up in the coming months when the temperature increases and the electioneering is at its peak. The growing awareness of natural products among the common people is yet another reason for the no let-up in demand for the tender coconuts.
About 4,000 tender coconuts are being marketed every day in the Suramangalam uzhavar santhai
