Coconut yields have increased but the prices are still increasing, an unusual equation Horticultural Department officials from the Indian government blame on the middlemen and vendors.
“Except during the 1996 cyclone, which saw a setback,” explained deputy director of the department D. Vittal, “the coconut yield has been comfortable for the last few years.” During 2000, a bumper harvest in the Hyderabad state alone was recorded at 1,052m nuts, of which 20% is used for coconut water and remaining quota used for food, oil and worship.
Coconuts are also exported from here to other Indian states, such as Delhi, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Vendors maintain that extremely high demand has warranted the increase in prices, but officials believe that values will stabilise with the entrance of December and January harvests on the market.
