Tender coconut vendors cash in on summer heat

VISAKHAPATNAM: Soaring price of fruit juice and coconut water is burning a hole in the citizens’ pockets.
Sources said coconut water is being sold at Rs 25 to Rs 30 apiece in the city for the last few days. Similarly, a glass of fruit juice is sold at Rs 30 to Rs 50 per glass.
Traders attributed the rise in prices to various reasons including the short supply of coconuts to the city and high demand due to hot weather conditions.K Ramakrishna, a coconut shop owner at MVP Colony Double Road said, “We are charging Rs 25 per piece for small coconuts and Rs 30 for big ones. We used to sell the same coconuts last year for Rs 20 and Rs 25.
We increased the price by Rs 5 this year due to rise in transportation cost, short supply of coconuts and high demand for the coconut water.” Ramakrishna said he buys coconuts from neighbouring Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari.
P Srinivasa Rao, a Manikantha fruitshop proprietor at Dwaraka Nagar, said they increased the price due to many reasons including high maintenance cost. “We increased the price by Rs 5 on each juice due to rise in maintenance cost, salaries of our staff,” Rao said.
A juice customer P Mahesh said, “People are not bothered about the price. They are not compromising on quality.”