Millions of local coconuts left unsold...
Local coconuts have been dumped at plantations and warehouses in the country as imported coconuts from neighbouring countries are the preferred choice of Malaysians because of cheaper prices.
This has led to an outcry from suppliers of local coconuts as they need to clear their stockpile before the fruits turn bad or germinate.
Supplier A. Anbarasan, 64, said this is the first time such a thing had happened since he ventured into the trade business 27 years ago.
“The sale of coconuts has dropped by more than two-thirds this year alone.
“Usually, I could distribute an average of 350,000 coconuts monthly, but now I can only sell between 100,000 and 120,000 coconuts monthly since April.
“In Perak alone, I have about 70,000 husked coconuts stored in Sitiawan and about 300,000 dehusked coconuts at a plantation in Bagan Datuk,” he said in an interview.
Anbarasan estimated that there could be “a few million” unsold coconuts as many suppliers in other states say they are in the same boat.
Anbarasan, who also sells fresh coconuts at two stores in Jalan Penaga and Jalan Abu Siti on Penang island, believes that the market has been flooded with cheaper coconuts from Indonesia and Thailand, thus causing an oversupply in the local market.
“Our local plantations produce enough coconuts for consumers. But because the local ones are of better quality, the price is more expensive. And consumers just want to go for cheaper coconuts,” he said.
Anbarasan said the market price for Malaysian coconuts is between RM1.20 and RM1.50 each, but those from Indonesia could fetch as low as 80 sen to RM1 each.
“If you import coconuts from Indonesia, one tonne or about 1,000 coconuts cost only RM550, or 55 sen each,” he said.
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