PONDA: Residents of Ponda, especially the homemakers, are worried due to the skyrocketing coconut cost, caused by shortage of production due to changing climatic conditions, animal and insect attack.
Coconut is an essential daily commodity required in the kitchen for preparing fish curry and other food items. But, since the past three months, its cost has increased substantially in the last few months.
According to vendor Nilam Kurtarkar, at Ponda ‘Agri Bazaar’, three months ago, she was selling coconut in the price range of Rs 8-Rs 25, depending upon the size. Now, it costs between Rs 16-Rs 35.
“Farmers are complaining of less production in their ‘bagayats’, with some 50 per cent trees not having the fruit. And most of the coconuts which are plucked, are used for self-consumption.
“Since past three months, the problem has become very severe. Due to this, there is a shortage of coconuts in the market,” she said.
Another vendor, Gurudas Naik said that changing climatic conditions has led to the reduction of coconut size.
“Morever, the coconut pluckers are charging around Rs 100 to Rs 150 per tree, while size of fruit is almost reduced. This has hit the profit margin. Consequently, many of the pluckers are refusing to pluck coconuts. We are somehow arranging additional coconuts from outside the State to meet the demands from our regular customers,” Naik said.
According to him, during the last plucking season in December 2023, there was low production, due to which there was shortage in the market, leading to rise in prices.
Homemaker Nayan Naik demanded that the government should stabilise the rates of coconuts.
Gurudas Dond from Nirankal said the various animals like monkeys, wild boars and bison are destroying coconut plantations.
“I used to harvest 4,000 coconuts per season. Now there is no production for harvesting,” Dond said.
Zonal Agriculture Officer Santosh Gaonkar said there was low yield in the last harvesting season. Changing climatic conditions and mite attacks have reduced the size of coconuts.
“We provide guidance to tackle the mite attack to get the fruit back to normal size. Government provides an assured minimum support price of Rs 15 per coconut to farmers. Farmers sell their harvest to registered dealers and after producing bills, they get a balanced amount of assured price,” Gaonkar said.
He hoped that by next plucking season, the production and price will return to its original state.
