Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Turnaround for a traditional drink

Mohamed Imranullah S.

NATURAL FLAVOUR: Tender coconuts offered in earthernwares to participants at a function in Madurai on Saturday. — Photo: K. Ganesan

MADURAI: It is boom time again for tender coconut vendors.

With the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recently releasing the results of their new study, which claims to have recorded a high rate of pesticide residue in soft drinks, farmers as well as footpath vendors have begun to cash in on the opportunity.

The wholesome nutritious water obtained from these coconuts is in great demand in recent times, be it on roadsides, restaurants or conference venues.

There was a similar rise in the sale of tender coconut during 2003 when the CSE had come out with a similar report. But the craze died down soon as tender coconut traders could not sustain the volume of sales in the highly competitive market dominated by multinational soft drink companies.

After a gap of three years, the natural drink has once again become the most sought after.

Vendor's version

Karuppiah, a coconut vendor on Bibikulam road in Madurai, says that sales have increased right from the next day after the CSE reportn on soft drinks was aired in a Tamil television channel on August 2.

The CSE report has not only benefited tender coconut vendors, but also the anti-globalisation organisations in strengthening their protest against multinationals.

The Tamil Nadu Social Forum, which held its conference here on Saturday, chose to treat the participants with tender coconuts and not soft drinks.

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