PANAJI
Yet another consignment of 25,000 coconuts arrived at the Horticulture Corporation’s godown from Shivamogga in Karnataka on Monday. The coconuts will be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 45 apiece to cope with soaring market prices and the growing demand for coconuts in the State ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
The Corporation’s initiative received overwhelming response with the first lot of 25,000 coconuts getting sold in less than three days during the weekend.
The Goan had reported that in a bid to meet the rising demand and to stabilize the market prices, the GSHC is set to procure around one lakh coconuts from neighbouring Karnataka to supplement domestic supply and address price volatility. Accordingly, the first 25,000 coconuts on subsidised rates were made available across 1200 horticulture outlets from August 15.
GSHC managing director Chandrahas Desai told The Goan that the entire stock of 25,000 coconuts has been sold out and accordingly, another lot of 25,000 coconuts have arrived in the State today. The supply is expected to continue till the first week of September and thereafter the decision will be taken based on the requirement.
“We will be selling these jumbo coconuts at the same price of Rs 45 apiece across our outlets,” he said, adding that the Corporation will continue to procure coconuts from Karnataka until the 11th day, when Ganesh Chaturthi concludes.
Desai said that post festive season, the demand for coconuts will also come down and so also the prices.
Currently, the coconuts are sold at prices ranging from Rs 25 per piece to Rs 75 per piece based on the size. The vendors claim that due to early monsoons in May, no fruit plucking took place from May till now and also there is harvest issue.
Desai said that the situation is expected to normalize post Ganesh. “Currently there is not much Goan coconut in the market. We are hopeful that the situation will improve post festival with the plucking,” he said.
