Coconut water, good for your daughter

It is full of iyona, she will be like a layona !!!

This is some body else's  song. Date is 29th September 2013 and subject matter is coconut.
If you are in a village, and want to sell your coconut, a dealer would offer you  5 rupees. Well what can 5 rupees buy.
Look  prices today. ( conversion rate 67 rupees to US Dollar this morning)

Nendran type of banana   60 rupees a kilo.
Sardines  80 to 100 rupees
Beef   200 rupees
Palakadan matta rice 45 rupees
Most vegetables  50 rupees.

If you want to drink, coconut water while in Koch city,  you would have to pay Rupees 25.
If you want to buy a coconut for cooking from a vegetable shop, you need to pay something between 12 to 16 Rupees.

In Kochi, Kerala, India, advertised rates for plucking coconuts is Rs. 15 to Rs25 per tree. Actually, if you ask one climber, he might ask you Rs. 50 to 75.  So you need to sell fifteen coconuts to recover the cost of plucking it. Well, coconut farming is no longer a lively hood for many.

Years ago, those who had some land, never spent any money to take care of the trees, but just went around and got them plucked. They were known as land lords, and lived off coconut.


Then there was land reforms. Tenants who lived in these land became owners,  land lords became coolies.

Slowly, palm oil form Indonesia and Malasia, invaded indian market. Price of rice moved up from one rupee to 40 or 50. Coconut price stagnated. Traditional coconut climbers were given scholerships and they all became Government Officials, there was no one to climb the palms.  The rate for climbing , climbed the heights. Today, a climber can make  Rs 500 to Rs 1500.

But where are the coconut palms. A farmer commented, only the stupid will ever plant a coconut tree. Who will climb?  One with the land and time could plant cucumbers and capsicums  in sheltered enviorments, for , Government gives away 75 percent subsidy for green houses.

Back to coconut tree / palm

There are varieties that, bear fruit, in 3 years, before they become tall to climb. Why not try them.  When these coconut palms become unpluckable, even from a step ladder, why not chop them off.

There is lot of talk about Neera.  That is the name from toddy when is not fermented. Toddy is delicious and nutritious.Only one cannot buy it anywhere in Kerala. There are plenty of toddy shops all over in Kerala, and they sell synthetic todday.  God knowns what happens to the systems of chaps  who drink in these places.

In Kerala, the coconut palm was considered, kalpa wriksha, or tree from  heaven. It gives water, edible kernal, timber for house building, rope for various applications, fronds, or leaves for making a tatching, and finally, sugar from toddy, and intoxicants, from fermented toddy.  Uses are many, but farmers get rs. 5 still, and trader sells it for Rs. 10 or 15.

Lesson number one. If you want to make moneny, don't  be farmer. just be trader.