Palmyra fruit sellers in despair

A Palmyra fruit seller waiting for customers on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam.

The very severe cyclone Hudhud, which ravaged the city and district on October 12, 2014, hit Palmyra fruit sellers.

The cyclone had destroyed thousands of Palmyra trees. While the taller trees and their crowns were destroyed by the gales, their shorter cousins withstood the fury of the cyclone providing some solace to the traders and sellers. K. Kotapadu and Devarapalle mandals in the district are billed as the areas having abundant Palmyra trees.

“There would be about 5,000 trees in K. Kotapadu and Devarapalle mandals and a majority of the tall trees have lost their crowns. The smaller varieties, which are about the height of telephone poles, have survived but the yield this year has gone down drastically,” says Simha Gouri of K. Kotapadu, who sells the fruits in the city.

“By this time (May 5) last year, we had completed one month of sales. This year, sales commenced just five days ago. The price, which was between Rs.15 and Rs.20 a dozen last year, now varies between Rs.25 to Rs.30 a dozen. I earn around Rs.500 a day on an average after meeting bus fare and other expenses,” says Gouri.

Yerra Appalaraju and his wife Ramanamma, of Bondapalli village in Vizianagaram district, were seen selling the fruits beside the National Highway near R & B junction. While Appalaraju was chopping of the hard outer shell with a knife, his wife was gently removing them and collecting them in a plate. The couple earn around Rs.800 a day after meeting their incidental expenses.

“Seasonal fruits are good for health. Most of the common health problems associated with the present generation can be attributed to their lack of consumption of seasonal food,” says S.S. Maheswara Rao, an Instructor/Supervisor at the Government ITI, who purchased two dozens for Rs.50.

“We come here by around 9 a.m. and wind up by 2 p.m. We purchase the Palmyra bunches at K. Kotapadu and our younger son transports them to the city. Our elder son ekes out a living by selling toddy at our village. The Palmyra trees that marked Thatichetlapalem in the city have given way to apartments,” says Appalaraju.

Thousands of trees were destroyed during cyclone Hudhud