“As I use a two-wheeler to travel every day, I spend up to four hours on the road. My only saving grace is the roadside tender coconut stalls,” said Akshaya K., a resident of Kamanahalli. Similarly, for many in Bengaluru who travel long distances and work in the hot sun, tender coconuts, sugarcane and fruit juices and ice creams have become quintessential to beat the heat.
While the sales of all these items have increased in the city, it has also driven up the prices both in the markets as well as during procurement stages. The price of tender coconuts has touched ₹50 a piece, especially in the Central Business District (CBD) due to increased demand.
Mahalinga G., a tender coconut vendor on Queens Road said, “This (summer) is the peak season. The prices are the highest right now.” While he sources his coconuts primarily from Tumakuru district for his stall for the past decade, he is facing some supply issues at present. “We used to get around 50 coconuts per tree. Now, it has reduced to 20 to 30 per tree,” he said.
