Here’s how neera is collected from coconut trees at the foothills of the Western Ghats

Discover the journey of neera, a natural coconut nectar drink from Anaimalai, now available in cities like Chennai and Bengaluru.

The nectar falls drop by drop into a plastic cover secured to coconut trees in a grove near the Western Ghats in Anaimalai. In a few hours’ time, it will start its journey to far off cities such as Chennai and Bengaluru, apart from nearby Coimbatore. Known as neera, this drink will be served chilled from dispensers at cafes, coffee shops and supermarkets.

It is almost 9am and Dhanabal Muthusamy is overseeing a fresh batch of neera being collected at a sprawling coconut grove at Anaimalai near Pollachi. It ill be sold under the NectRaw brand of the Anaimalais Coconut Producer Company, a Farmer Producer Organisation.

One of the three directors of the organisation, the 44-year-old looks on as tappers S Palanichamy and Kutti Raj climb up the trees to collect the boxes that hold the drink. “Neera is the nectar from thousands of coconut flowers,” explains Dhanabal, adding that it is collected from unopened flower clusters of the trees. Coconut trees in the farm that the company had taken on lease, wear box-like structures on their spadix (a thick, spike-like inflorescence that holds the flowers within).

The nectar drips directly into a plastic cover inside the through PVC pipes that is surrounded by ice. With a hand-woven petti secured at his hip by a leather belt, Palanichamy scales a coconut tree. Once at the top, he extracts the cover filled with the golden nectar, and drops it into a basket. He places a fresh plastic cover and ice, moving on to the next tree. Tappers climb trees twice a day to collect neera — at around 6am and 5pm, with each tree fetching around 1.5 litres a day.   

In his younger years, Dhanabal, who is from Kaliyapuram village in the region, would drink neera the first thing in the morning. “Back then, the drink, which we call theluvu, was collected in mud pots,” he recalls. “We also used to make karupatti at our farm; I can still remember the taste of the chewy karupatti jow mittai I would keep popping in when it was bubbling on the stove.” It is these memories that triggered an interest in him to offer the taste of neera from the Kongu belt to people in bigger cities.

After almost ten years in the banking industry, Dhanabal quit his job to make value-added agricultural products. He started with the initial research and pilot unit in 2013, finally getting the go-ahead from the Government to collect and sell coconut nectar in 2018. “There are 1.5 crores coconut trees in and around Pollachi,” he points out, adding that the region’s weather and abundant supply of water aid in the growth of the trees.

Tapping these trees for coconut nectar can be beneficial for farmers as well, he points out. “This process contributes to better yield,” he says: “Our goal is to increase income for farmers as well as create job opportunities for locals in these small towns.” NectRaw has a factory in Anaimalai where the drink is tested for quality before being packed. Neera, in order to be enjoyed at its best, has to be served chilled. Dhanabal and team ensure this cold chain is maintained from the time the drink is collected, till it reaches customers.