Coconut prices shoot up due to drastic drop in Pollachi yield

COIMBATORE: A drastic drop in the yield of coconuts in Pollachi, a major producer in Tamil Nadu has sent its prices soaring.

Farm gate prices of coconuts have skyrocketed to Rs 55,000 per tonne and above from just around 22,000 per tonne three months ago. Eventually, the retail price of coconuts has also zoomed to over Rs 60 per kg from around Rs 35 two weeks ago.

With the start of festival season in the coming days, the prices are expected to go up further as it may take a month for coconuts to arrive from Karnataka and also yield from farms in Tamil Nadu will pick up only from January, next year.

Yield of coconuts has been hit with almost 40 per cent of trees getting affected because of a multitude of factors including root wilt disease, white fly menace and soaring temperatures without adequate rains.

“Yield has stopped completely in five lakh coconut trees and over one lakh trees were chopped down due to infections in this region. Prices of coconuts have never reached so high before. Farmers however lament that this price rise doesn’t fetch them bigger profits as production has reached a bare minimum,” said PK Padmanaban, joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Coconut Producers Companies Consortium.

Normally, up to 60 loads; each weighing 12.5 tonnes of coconuts used to be produced daily from Pollachi and Anaimalai areas. It has now dropped to a meagre 10 to 15 loads.

A sharp increase in import duty of sunflower and palmolein oils has impacted the price of coconut oil too.

“Because of an increase in import duty of crude and refined oils, the demand for coconuts has also gone up. Coconut prices are increasing by a few rupees daily. Also, because of the high temperature in summer, pollination didn’t happen in the coconut farms causing an impact. Four years ago, the coconut prices went above Rs 50, but this is the first time its prices have peaked so much,” said Dhanabal Muthusamy, Director of Anaimalai Coconut Farmers Producers Company Ltd.

Meanwhile, farmers urged the government to take some proactive measures to control root wilt disease, which continues to spread among coconut trees. More than 20 per cent of coconut trees are affected by root wilt disease.

“Besides Pollachi, the impact of the disease has been widespread across Tamil Nadu. And, the extent of damage varies in different places,” said V Geethalakshmi, Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).

Because of a sharp increase in prices of coconuts, coconut chutneys and other delicacies made of it have gone off the menu in many middle-class households.

“I have reduced the use of coconut in dishes due to its high cost. I have also stopped making coconut chutneys frequently,” said R Malathi, a homemaker from Singanallur.

Poor quality of Pollachi produce hits exports badly

COIMBATORE: Exports have reached a stalemate due to an acute shortage of coconuts, as well as poor quality of the produce.

“Because of infections, the quality of coconuts has become sub-standard and weighs low. A nut should weigh around 500 grams to 550 grams to be sent for export. But they now weigh only less than 400 grams, which does not meet the criteria for exports,” said PK Padmanaban, joint secretary of Tamil Nadu Coconut Producers Companies Consortium.

Already, coconut exports witnessed a drastic drop due to heavy freight charges. Yet, Pollachi coconuts were preferred in Gulf countries like Qatar and Kuwait for their longer shelf life and better quality. However, exports stopped to European countries long ago as their market was captured by other major coconut-producing nations like Indonesia and the Philippines. Now exports have completely stopped.

To meet the supply-demand gap in the domestic market, attempts were being made by middlemen to smuggle coconuts through the Philippines and Indonesia, where they cost less.

“Both the state and central governments should curb down with an iron hand such illegal import of coconuts,” demand farmers

“Prices of copra, which was sold at around Rs 100 per kg last month, have increased to Rs 140 and above. Similarly, a tin of coconut oil comprising 15 kg, which cost around Rs 2,200, last month, has increased to Rs 3,000 and above. It was in the range of Rs 80 to 100, before the price rose. Also, the price of coconut powder has more than doubled from Rs 100 last month to Rs 250. Even tender coconuts have become pricey. Because of a drop in coconut arrivals, hundreds of workers, mainly from north India have gone jobless in copra drying units,” claim farmers.

IN A NUTSHELL

- Rs 55,000 per tonne is the farm gate price of coconuts

- Rs 60 per kg is the fresh retail price of coconuts

- 20 % and above are the volume of coconut trees affected by root wilt disease

- Rs 140 is the price of copra per kg as against Rs 100 last month

- Rs 250 per kg is the cost of coconut powder as against Rs 100 last month

- Rs 800 increase was registered in coconut oil prices of a 15 kg tin

* Yield dropped due to root wild disease, white fly menace, and high temperature

* Import duty on oils caused a spurt in coconut demand

* Exports hit due to poor quality and low weight of coconuts