A worker showing two gunny sacks of mature coconuts at the Anba Coconut Trading shop in Aboo Sitee Lane, George Town.
GEORGE TOWN: A major coconut supplier in the northern region has told consumers and businesses to brace for an acute shortage of mature coconuts.
Anba Coconut Trading owner P Saraswathy said stocks had plunged, making it difficult to keep up with the demand.
She said her coconut groves in Pantai Remis, Perak, and Ulu Bernam in Selangor, were no longer producing as many mature coconuts as before.
Saraswathy said her yield started dropping sharply from May last year. Now, she is getting only 2,500 coconuts every two days — a staggering drop from her previous 10,000 to 15,000 coconuts in the same period of 2023.
The local Mawar coconut, which is used to produce santan (coconut milk) and is grated for cooking was now in limited supply, she said.
Saraswathy said the drop in yield had forced her to halt selling mature coconuts to her walk-in customers, a majority of whom were Thaipusam devotees.
Coconuts are a key part of the festival’s rituals. Thaipusam falls on Feb 11.
The shortage has also driven up prices sharply, with local coconuts now selling for as much as RM3.90 per fruit in some areas of Penang, compared with the previous RM2.50 to RM2.60, Saraswathy said.
“If this problem continues, we won’t just see a coconut shortage for Thaipusam, but also affect housewives preparing meals during the Ramadan fasting month and for Hari Raya.”
P Saraswathy.
She warned that the supply of coconuts was expected to dwindle further.
NV Subbarrow of the Consumers’ Association of Penang said since the coconut shortage experienced in 2023, some traders had resorted to importing coconuts from Indonesia.
These fruits are priced at RM3 and above.
However, Subbarrow said traders were reluctant to stock them due to poor quality and high spoilage rates, with at least 300 out of every 1,000 coconuts turning bad.
The rising prices have also impacted the cost of santan, now selling at RM14 per kg, adding pressure on businesses and households, Subbarrow said.
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