Tender coconut prices in city scorch the wallet amid heatwave

Bengaluru: As the scorching summer heat begins to grip the city, Bengalureans are flocking to tender coconut carts to cool off. With an increase in demand, the prices of tender coconuts have hit close to Rs 50 in many areas across the city. The price of tender coconuts in the city varies, ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 50 based on the area.

The major supply to Bengaluru comes from Bagaluru, Madduru, Nagamandala, and Mandya. While the vendors who buy tender coconuts from Bagaluru and Madduru spend Rs 30-35 and sell at around Rs 40-45, the coconuts from Mandya and Nagamandala are reportedly the cheapest at Rs 15-16.

In the city, Freedom Park and surrounding areas are usually crowded, and tender coconuts are priced at Rs 20. Places such as K R Puram and Indiranagar have tender coconut stalls that charge Rs 50 a piece.

Gangamma, a vendor in Banaswadi who buys tender coconuts from Bagaluru farmers, said that she sells at least 50 coconuts in a day.

“The farmers sell it to us at Rs 35 and we then price them at Rs 40,” she said.

Selling at a price Rs 10 or Rs 20 more than what they buy it at is the only way to make some extra moolah.

Similarly, Kishore and Sekar, who sell tender coconuts on the Swami Vivekananda road, purchase tender coconuts from Chamarajanagar and Maddur farmers at Rs 32 or at times, Rs 36.

“We price them according to the demand. Sometimes we sell them at Rs 40 and sometimes at Rs 45 based on the demand. The price usually drops during the monsoon and recovers as summer approaches,” Kishore said. Most vendors in the city report that procuring tender coconuts hasn’t been a problem.”

Jayachandra Sharma, a coconut farmer from Tiptur who is also a member of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), said that even though the demand plunges in monsoon, the coconuts are sold in dried form later or are compressed to make oil.