Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Apr 12: As temperatures soar, many are turning to the age-old summer saviour—tender coconut water. But what was once a refreshing and affordable natural cooler is now becoming a high-priced indulgence, especially for the health-conscious. Prices have shot up across regions, with stark differences between rural areas, cities, and coastal belts.
The conversation around this rising cost was recently reignited when popular author Nandita Iyer shared a post on social media about shelling out ?90 for a small tender coconut. Her post quickly went viral, igniting a storm of responses questioning whether consumers were being overcharged. Iyer, however, defended the pricing, pointing to deeper issues at play.
She highlighted a cocktail of contributing factors—declining coconut farming, the impact of climate change on yields, and mature coconuts being diverted to the more lucrative oil industry. "Add to this the rising cost of fuel and transport, plus a shortage of skilled coconut climbers—an underpaid and shrinking workforce—and the higher price begins to make sense," she wrote in her response to a comment.
On the ground, vendors in Goa confirm the trend. In Panaji and Taleigao, sellers report that demand for tender coconuts has doubled since March. Mohd Junaid, a vendor in Taleigao, said truckloads of coconuts are being brought in daily from Karnataka and other states. “Each person is buying two to three at a time. Suppliers are focusing on tender coconuts because of the surge in demand, which in turn has reduced the supply of mature ones,” he said.
This shift has created a domino effect. With coconuts being harvested earlier, there's now a visible shortage of fully matured coconuts, affecting household cooking and restaurant supplies alike. “We’ve had to raise prices on dishes using coconut because we simply can’t get enough,” said a vendor at the Panaji market.
Tender coconut prices vary widely depending on location—approximately ?60 in Goa, ?65 in Konkan regions, ?70 in parts of Mumbai, ?80 in Pune, and even as low as ?40 in Bengaluru.
Online, users have shared mixed opinions. Some blame flawed government schemes for contributing to labour shortages. One user, Chalapathi Rao, pointed fingers at the MGNREGA rural employment programme, claiming it has disrupted agricultural work by offering money for minimal effort. “Farmers can’t find reliable labour. They work for 15 minutes, chat for the rest of the time, and still get paid,” he posted.
As tender coconuts go from street-side staple to seasonal luxury, the broader debate has shifted beyond just pricing—highlighting systemic issues in agriculture, labour, climate resilience, and food security.