Water melon, tender coconut sellers feel the heat

Time of India

2 days ago

The weather gods have been kinder to Trichiites this time, but farmers, traders and vendors engaged in the business of summer refreshments have a different story to tell. Sale of coconut, watermelon, and fruit juices has plummeted across Trichy due to reduced consumption after temperatures dropped in May and rainfall increased.
Things were looking up from mid-April when summer peaked, and heatwave was intense. With people thronging juice shops, watermelons, tender coconuts, and cucumbers flew off shelves. That was till mid-May. "Sales have dropped by half in weeks, even near the bus stand where thousands visit every day. With frequent downpours, the climate is not hot as before. We didn't have such abrupt change in previous years," says S Thamimun Ansari from Tiruvarur, a tender coconut vendor near Central bus stand.
Wholesalers say the drop in business is as high as 85%. Tender coconuts are transported to Trichy predominantly from Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. S A Khaja Mohideen, a distributor from Mannarpuram, says they were arranging as many as seven trucks with five tonne each around April. "Currently, we need only one truck of watermelons. We also slashed prices to increase sales due to less demand," says he. Watermelon is cultivated only in Thottiyam block in the district, on about 100 acre.
It arrives from places such as Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai.
"Watermelon distribution has come down at least by two-thirds across the state. This month was to be our best time to do business. But it has only brought losses," says P Ramesh, a Namakkal-based supplier. "We are now thinking if we should cultivate more as we stare at losses," says P Kanagaraj, who cultivates watermelon on about 10 acres in Periyapallipalayam.
Traders in permanent juice shops, temporary juice stalls, and mobile push carts have also been enduring loss of income recently. Shopkeepers say they will struggle to pay rent and other bills. Pushcart vendors and temporary stall keepers are looking to relocate to more populated areas. "Only regular customers are coming to buy juice as they follow diets. Otherwise, not many people want to quench their thirst with fruit juices lately," says S Mathavan, a juice seller from Karumandapam.
Dr B Amutha, head of the regional meteorological centre of Indian Meteorological Department in Chennai attributed the drop in temperatures to advancement of the monsoon. "Rainfall is more in May as the onset of southwest monsoon has advanced a week early from June first week. A similar occurrence was in 2009, when monsoon advanced around May 23," she said, pointing to climate change as a reason. "Apart from that, conditions such as seasonal reversal of winds and an increase in wind speed became favourable for the advancement of monsoon," she added.