Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)
Mangaluru, Jun 2: The demand for tender coconut water (Yelaneeru) is huge in Delhi. Karnataka state is the second largest producer of coconuts (tengu) after Kerala and there is a huge demand for it in Delhi especially during the summer season resulting in a huge jump in its price. Delhites are shelling out Rs 100 to drink Yelaneeru from one tender coconut.
Due to the huge demand for tender coconuts and ice cream in the national capital, the price of one tender coconut in Mangaluru and a few other places has touched Rs 50. Coconut is cultivated in 1.9 million hectares of land in the country out of which Kerala leads with 7.81 lac hectares followed by Karnataka at 4.19 lac hectares. Karnataka grows in total 2,176 million coconuts constituting about 13.83% of the produce. Coconut is mainly grown in 10 districts of the state and Tumakuru district is the largest producer of the commodity in the state followed by Mysuru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada and Chikkamagaluru districts. Despite the high produce, there seems to be a shortage as tender coconuts are not available on demand resulting in its prices going northward.
Tender coconuts are transported to New Delhi and other cities from Mysuru, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As the temperature in New Delhi is at its peak, the demand for tender coconut in the national capital is huge and as a result of which one tender coconut is sold for Rs 100. Middlemen are favouring Delhi and Pune as favourable destinations to sell the commodity. Manjunath who is looking after the distribution of coconuts from Mysuru to Mangaluru says the demand for the commodity is huge due to the summer. Another variety of the coconut that comes from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are relatively lower in demand, he says.
The price of a tender coconut has gone up by Rs 15 to hover around Rs 45-50 from Rs 35 earlier catching the traders unaware and surprised. The tender coconuts that come from Kerala and Tamil Nadu are available between Rs 40 to Rs 55 and so is the case with the tender coconuts grown in Karavali region.
Meanwhile, the price of coconut has plummeted. A coconut which was available for Rs 40-45 two years back is now sold for Rs 25-26 leaving the growers high and dry. Traders of Dakshina Kannada are not showing interest to sell coconuts despite the price being lower than tender coconuts.