With the nationwide lockdown completing 51 days on Thursday, sellers of seasonal fruits and drinks during the summer season feel the heat as their business is yet to gain momentum.
During Kathiri Veyil in May every year, the demand for watermelon, mosambi (sweet lime), mulampalam (muskmelon), noongu (Palmyra fruit), buttermilk, sugarcane juice, tender coconut, cucumbers and kamban koozh (pear millet porridge) will be very high. Temporary roadside shops selling these items could be seen in large numbers as fruits and drinks are available at affordable price even for the poor. “But I had never faced this situation”, said Velammal of Moolapalayam, who has been selling watermelon for over 20 years. “Summer is at its peak now and I did not do any business so far in this season”, she said and added that her business was good even during rainy seasons in the past years.
A sugarcane juice seller at Solar, who reopened his shop last week, said that business was poor as very few motorists ply on the road. “Usually, about two loads of sugarcane in autorickshaw are needed for a day in summer. But now, I need less than half-load for two days”, he added. Nataraj, who sells muskmelon and watermelon from March to May said that lockdown had kept people indoors and hence he could not do any business. “I am not sure whether business will be back in another one month”, he said.
A few roadside shops selling sugarcane juice and watermelon had reopened their business in the past few days. However, their business volume was very low as many avoided consuming juices due to fear.
