Delicious ‘nungu’ turns pricey in Coimbatore
The Hindu
The ‘nungu’ (ice apple) season has just started this summer, and the sweet fruit, as is only to be expected, is in high demand due to short supply in Coimbatore .
COIMBATORE The ‘nungu’ (ice apple) season has just started this summer, and the sweet fruit, as is only to be expected, is in high demand due to short supply.
It has meant shelling out more for the customers. Unlike last year when 14 to 15 fruits of low to medium sizes were sold for ₹ 100, this time, the number has come down to 10 to 12.
“The lower extent of harvest of the fruit in Ramanathapuram, Tuticorn and other coastal districts from where it is procured and brought is the reason for the higher cost this year,” says Ganesh, a seller at Athipalayam Pirivu in the city.
“Customers seem to prefer the combo of fruit and sap (padhani), which costs ₹ 40. The higher price notwithstanding, no stock remains at the end of the day,” he said.
It will take not less than two decades for the demand-supply dynamics to improve, following the launch of Palmyra Development Mission by the State Government during 2021, according to a researcher at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. It will take a tree at least 15 years to start bearing fruits to full capacity. There is a need for more research propagation as termination of seeds/nuts remains a problem, he said.