The Agro Marketing Intelligence and Business Promotion Centre (AMI & BPC) and the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS) in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University have advised farmers in this belt to store and sell coconut and copra during September-October.
Coconut is currently ruling around Rs 28,500 a tonne in Pollachi market and coconut oil, which has been on the upward trend since December 2013, has risen from Rs 99 a kg to Rs 146/kg in May this year.
Trade sources estimate the production of coconut this season (June-July) to be low due to continuous drought in the last two years. This has resulted in the prices of the nut rising northward.
Copra is now ruling at Rs 96-98 per kg in Tamil Nadu.
Sources said that arrivals from Karnataka would end in August. Festival season in the forthcoming months would trigger the demand for the nut in the domestic market.
Given this scenario, farmers can expect to get better rates during August-September.
TNAU's AMI& BPC analysis show that the prices of the nut would hover around Rs 16 and Rs 18 (550- 600 gm) in Pollachi market at farm level and copra at around Rs 100-105 per kg at Avalpoondurai regulated market.