JOIN USThe ban on sale of liquor due the lockdown clamped to mitigate the virus spread has upped the demand for neera, the fresh sap of young coconut flowers, in several parts of Karnataka.
Neera is selling like hot cakes during lockdown, at the farm belonging national-award winning farmer S C Veerabhadrappa at B G Kere village in Molkalmuru taluk, Chitradurga district.
Neera is a healthy drink rich in Vitamin C. It rich in sugar, essential elements such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and magnesium, micro-nutrients, minerals and good source of ascorbic acid. However, despite promotions and publicity campaigns, neera failed to attract the people. But with the total prohibition of alcohol following the lockdown, the demand for neera has more than doubled in the last two weeks.
The progressive farmer has started selling neera, in two shifts, at the shed erected outside his Vasundhara Sasyakshetra farm on Bengaluru-Ballari highway. People from the district and beyond queue up to buy neera. A 200 ml pouch of neera is sold at Rs 50.
Veerabhadrappa told DH, "We are extracting neera scientifically from 40 coconut trees for the past three years. We then process it and store it in ice chambers. Neera will turn into toddy with 4%, if we allow it to ferment. We sell only neera, not toddy."
Also, we won't allow people, alcohol addicts in particular, to misuse neera. We give just two bottles of neera to each person for consumption there and then, and don't give it in parcel, he said.
On sudden surge in demand, the progressive farmer said, "May be people are consuming neera more to lower the risk of infection as it is a healthy and nutritious drink. And the prolonged dry spell may have forced more number of alcohol addicts turn to neera. But we don't allow the addicts to misuse neera as we don't sell fermented one."