Coconut Price Up This Year

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Waste not: Subbarow (left) urged devotees to break fewer coconuts this year
GEORGE TOWN: The price of coconuts is costlier for Thaipusam this year due to low supply and low crop yields this month.

AK Coconut Trading managing director A. Loganathan said the shortage of supply could be attributed to the lack of manpower to harvest and husk the fruits.

He said each coconut is retailed at RM1.80, compared to between RM1.30 and RM1.50 last year.

“There is a drop in supply and one of the reasons is there are more stringent rules to employ foreign workers.

“We need workers to help harvest and husk the coconuts.

“Another reason could be the low crop yield for coconuts this month,” he added.

Loganathan, who supplies coconuts to Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur during Thaipusam, said the demand was also lesser due to the higher prices and slower economy.

“We have customers who used to break 100 coconuts before, but choose to smash only one this year,” he said, adding that they had received orders for 120,000 coconuts in Penang.

“It might go up as there will usually be a few last-minute orders.

“Penang has the highest order for coconuts this year,” he noted.

Another supplier, A. Anbarasan who runs Anba Coconut, said they did not have enough manpower to husk the coconuts on time.

“You can husk a coconut a maximum of 10 days before Thaipusam. Otherwise it will spoil.

“But we do not have enough people to carry out that kind of labour that quickly,” he said, adding that he could only supply 100,000 coconuts for Thaipusam this year.

He said he also supplied the fruits to his regular customers at markets and sundry shops.

“They take about 100 to 200 coconuts and only sell a few daily, so it is fair that they sell it at RM2.50 as they want to make some money,” he added.

Meanwhile, Consumers Association of Penang education officer NV Subbarow urged devotees to break fewer coconuts during Thaipusam.

“The money used for breaking coconuts can be channelled towards the needs of the community that still live below the poverty line.

“Breaking a coconut during Thaipusam is a cleansing ritual practised by Hindu devotees.

“It is a symbolic representation of determination and devotion.

“Many devotees are ill-informed of the reasons behind the coconut-breaking ceremony.

“They think that the more coconuts they break the more luck is showered unto them.

“They break thousands of coconuts every year which ultimately end up in landfills and are burned, and eventually turned into fumes that pollute the environment,” he added.

Subbarow said spending money on thousands of coconuts is not considered wise, especially with the current economic situation.

“The price of coconut increases during the Thaipusam celebrations as well.

“At present the market price of coconut is up to RM2.50,” he said, urging sundry shops not to overprice coconuts. - Star

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