Kakinada: As the mercury shoots up day by day, citizens are making a beeline for tender coconut water.
Cashing in on the huge demand, the sellers have hiked the price tender coconuts and charge Rs15 to Rs 20 according the size of the coconut in East and West Godavari districts, and Rs .25 to Rs 40 per coconut in other parts of the state.
The East and West Godavari districts are the main exporters of coconuts.
According to sources, nearly 300 lorries of coconut are transported to other districts in the two Telugu states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and other parts of the country.
However, the farmers of Konaseema do not believe in selling tender coconut trees for sentimental reasons. They felt that it is not auspicious to harvesting tender coconuts and also the trees can be damaged if tender coconuts are harvested.
In recent years, the upland area farmers are growing coconut trees near borewells and are selling the tender coconuts along West Godavari district which is the highest exporter of these coconuts.
The traders say that the coconut cost has drastically fallen from Rs 11 to Rs 3.30 for past one month. “The tender coconuts are fetching Rs 6 to Rs 7 each. It is profitable than ripen coconuts,” said S. Venkateswar Rao, a coconut trader and also a farmer.
According to him, some of the coconut farmers in Razole and other mandals in Konaseema area also started to sell tender coconuts. Meanwhile, doctors also advised the people to drink coconut water in summer instead of cool drinks and other liquids.
“Tender coconut water can also be directly applied on the skin and hair problems. It also helps in steady blood circulation keeping the heart healthy. Drinking tender coconut water daily in summer helps maintain the energy levels.
It is better to drink it on an empty stomach and it prevents and cures kidney stone problems,” said eminent physician and former director of medical education in combined Andhra Pradesh Dr. M.B.R. Sarma. He said that tender coconut contains calcium which helps in strengthening bones and control dehydration problems and keeps the body cool.
