Winter chill leads to drop in tender coconut prices in Mandya district

Mandya : The district has seen a significant decline in tender coconut prices this winter season. Just five months ago, prices surged to`50, but they have now fallen to`25-30.

Tender coconut from Mandya used to be supplied to various places across the country, including the capital New Delhi, Allahabad, Gujarat, and Hyderabad. There has been a high demand for tender coconut in northern India. However, the recent cold wave sweeping across the country, particularly in northern regions, has reduced the consumption of tender coconut.

As a result, the number of consumers in northern India has decreased, leading to a drop in demand. This has significantly impacted the supply of tender coconut from Mandya district, which previously sent out over 100 truckloads daily. This number has now dwindled to just 40-50 truckloads, causing the tender coconut to remain largely within the local market.

Despite the cold weather, which has seen temperatures dip to a minimum of 14 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius, people are struggling with the biting chill. Even in the afternoon sun, temperatures feel cool, leading to reduced consumption of coconut water and subsequently a natural decline in demand.

In the Maddur APMC coconut market, the price for quality tender coconut has dropped to`26,000 to`27,000 for big tender coconuts and`24,000 to`25,000 for mixed size tender coconut. Earlier, prices in the APMC market exceeded`40,000.

The drop in prices has led tender coconut traders to reduce the quantities they transport to the APMC market, opting instead to sell from goods auto-rickshaws within Mandya city. They are selling small tender coconut for`20 and big tender coconut for`30-`40, conducting business largely on a local basis.

Vendors are actively selling tender coconut on streets like Kalmandir Road, V V Road, Hosa Halli Circle, R P Road, Hospital Road, Bannuru Road, Sir M V Statue, and Kalalahalli, attracting customers with pricing boards displaying`30-`40.

Mandya district has 69,162 hectares dedicated to coconut cultivation, with Nagamangala and K R Pet taluks having the highest number of coconut plantations. Farmers are increasingly turning to coconut farming due to recent losses from sugarcane and rice crops, which provide more stable income. Consequently, the area under coconut cultivation in the district has been expanding year on year, alongside increased production of coconut water and copra.

While the drop in tender coconut prices benefits consumers, it has posed a challenge for farmers, who face losses due to lower compensation when prices decrease. Farmers have pointed out that when prices fall, they receive less value for their produce, but if prices rise, they do not gain proportionately.

“The real profits seem to go only to the intermediaries and traders,” stated G V Srinivas from Gopalapur, Mandya taluk.

According to C M Prasanna from Maddur, the price drop in coconut water at the Maddur APMC market is largely a result of reduced demand in northern states due to the severe cold, affecting the previously robust supply chains.