Coconut prices soar in AP as demand-supply gap widens

Time of India

4 days ago

Visakhapatnam: Humid weather conditions, coupled with a gap between demand and supply, have led to a surge in the price of tender coconuts in parts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the north coastal region (NCAP).
Residents are now paying around Rs 50– Rs 60 per tender coconut due to high demand. Tender coconuts for Vizag city are primarily sourced from the Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, along with parts of Kakinada and East Godavari.
More than 1.5 lakh coconut farmers, labourers, and traders depend on coconut farming in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district. This region supplies tender coconuts to various parts of NCAP, as well as to Odisha and West Bengal.
However, diseases have been affecting the yield in recent seasons.
"Due to erratic rainfall and high humidity, the demand for tender coconuts has increased in recent weeks. But we're not receiving enough supply from either wholesale dealers or farmers," said K. Naidu, a trader near Siripuram in Vizag city. "On average, my stall needs at least 400 tender coconuts a day. But for the past few weeks, I've only been able to source 200 to 250 a day, as wholesale dealers are struggling with limited supply," he added.
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The price in the wholesale market now ranges from Rs 40 per piece. Higher-quality coconuts are commanding even more. "With limited supply and high demand, we are selling one-liter tender coconut water for Rs 150. Residents are feeling the pinch," said K. Laxmi, another trader. Farmers reported that the yield has decreased by 30–40% in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka due to persistent pest attacks over the past few years.
Prices of not just tender coconuts, but also regular coconuts and coconut oil, have surged by 100% to 200% over the last year, they added.
Officials say coconut availability is slowly returning to normal and expect coconut oil prices to stabilize within the next three months. "Usually, the price of tender coconuts peaks in summer. But even in July, the best coconuts are selling for Rs 60 apiece due to supply shortages," said G. Prabhakar, a resident of Vizag city. "I need to drink coconut water for medical reasons, but it's becoming too expensive these days.
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