Cut Back On Use Of Coconuts For Thaipusam In View Of Shortage Says Chow

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Coconut breaking is an important ritual for devotees during Thaipusam, especially when the chariot makes its ways through Penang streets.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has called on Thaipusam devotees to reduce the number of coconuts they break for the festival this year as the state faces a severe shortage of mature coconuts.
Echoing the Consumers’ Association of Penang’s recent call to reduce coconut breaking, he said while the ritual is an important tradition, devotees should be practical given the current supply constraints.
“Devotees should be more economical so their use of coconuts on Thaipusam does not affect food security for the masses,” he told reporters here, addressing concerns over the rising price of coconuts.
Chow’s remarks come after Anba Coconut Trading, one of the northern region’s biggest coconut suppliers, said it would not be supplying coconuts for Thaipusam this year due to a sharp drop in yield.
Anba Coconut Trading owner P Saraswathy said her coconut groves in Perak and Selangor had seen an 80-90% drop in yield, leaving her with just 2,500 coconuts every two days compared with a supply of 10,000-15,000 previously.
She said her 420,000-odd trees were healthy but not producing enough flower buds for some reason, affecting overall supply.
The shortage has driven up prices, with local coconuts now selling for up to RM3.90 each in some areas in Penang, compared with RM2.50 to RM2.60 previously.
Earlier, Chow and Penang governor Fuzi Razak launched the Chinese New Year festivities for 88 Captains, a state-based welfare group founded by the state’s key industrial and manufacturing players.
Chow praised the group for giving away RM1 million in scholarships to 24 deserving students over the past two years and also donating smart TV boards worth RM500,000 to schools in Penang today. - FMT

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