“As I use a two-wheeler to travel every day, I spend up to four hours on the road. My only saving grace is the roadside tender coconut stalls,” said Akshaya K., a resident of Kamanahalli. Similarly, for many in Bengaluru who travel long distances and work in the hot sun, tender coconuts, sugarcane and fruit juices and ice creams have become quintessential to beat the heat.
While the sales of all these items have increased in the city, it has also driven up the prices both in the markets as well as during procurement stages. The price of tender coconuts has touched ₹50 a piece, especially in the Central Business District (CBD) due to increased demand.
Mahalinga G., a tender coconut vendor on Queens Road said, “This (summer) is the peak season. The prices are the highest right now.” While he sources his coconuts primarily from Tumakuru district for his stall for the past decade, he is facing some supply issues at present. “We used to get around 50 coconuts per tree. Now, it has reduced to 20 to 30 per tree,” he said.
The price of sugarcane juice has also gone up by ₹5-10 per glass. “While the business has been booming, the price at which we source sugarcane has also increased. While a quintal of sugarcane was available at ₹200 before, now it costs between ₹250 to ₹300 per quintal,” said Madhusudhan U., the owner of Sree Raghavendra Juice Centre, located opposite Shivaji Nagar Bus Stand.
Bottled water
As there is a constant demand for bottled water due to the heat, Mr. Madhusudhan has also started selling water bottles in his shop for the first time. “Now we always have two cartons of water bottles. We have never sold them before. It’s only for this summer heat. The customers usually want refrigerated bottles,” he said.
Fruit juices
Juices of watermelon, butter fruit, mango, lemon and lemon soda are also in great demand. However, retaining the quality of fruits amidst the heat has become a challenge. “Due to the heat damage this summer, the fruits are prone to spoilage. It stays fresh for about two to three days before it goes bad,” said Santhosh N. Shetty, owner of Sri Rajarajeshwari Juice and Chats in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
The easiest solution to this has been packaged beverages. From the sale of dairy products like buttermilk and lassi to bottled drinks like fruit juices and soft drinks are preferred by many consumers. Kumar A., the owner of a general store in Tannery Road said, “The wholesale prices of these products have also gone up by ₹2. Some of the popular items include buttermilk and lassi. Many customers also prefer buying packaged mango drinks as it is easy to carry.”
Like every summer season, this year too, ice-cream has become everyone’s favourite. Dhrupad Rao, the owner of Kukie Ice Cream Softy, said, “The most popular are the classic flavours of vanilla and chocolate.” Unlike fruit juice, there is no fear of spoilage as the supply is maintained in control. Mr. Rao said, “We specially source our products, so we prepare them in batches. Supply is not really an issue for us.”
