Going nuts: Put those green thumbs to good use - go grow a coconut tree
A good haul of these easy-to-nurture fruit can make you a bundle.
KARACHI:
Coconut traders claim that around Rs400 million worth of fruit is grown and sold by households every year.
Some people take the towering trees in their yards for granted. Annoyed by ripe coconuts falling on their cars and damaging wind shields and bonnets, some even pay to have fruit and dried leaves cleared away. For 25-year-old Muhammad Rafiq and two of his workers, this is their livelihood. They roam the streets of Clifton and Defence every other day hoping to strike a good deal.
“Competition is tough these days,” he said, scrambling down a tree towering up to the second floor of an apartment complex in Clifton Block IX. “This used to be the exclusive trade for us Bengalis, these days everyone has jumped into it.”
Rafiq added that he pays between Rs6,000 and Rs8,000 for an average tree, which has around 100 coconuts a year. However, for some large trees, these traders can pay up to Rs20,000.
Rafiq buys one coconut for Rs20 and sells it for Rs40 in the wholesale market. “The people on the pushcarts sell the same coconut for Rs65,” he said. “You can imagine what the profit margin is like in this business.”
The city government and Defense Housing Authority (DHA) have no data regarding the number of coconut trees in the city. But wholesalers claim that at least 200,000 trees were being privately maintained in houses across the city. According to Rafiq, most of these trees are located in DHA, Clifton, Malir, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and North Nazimabad. “People have now realised that they can make money by planting a tree at home,” he said. “They ask me to pay more or be prepared to be dumped for another trader.”
A couple of years ago, the city government was conducting an experiment by planting coconut trees across the city - they wanted to check if the trees could adopt to Karachi’s atmosphere. There is, however, no official report on the success or failure of the project.
Social activist Kaukab Iqbal spearheaded a campaign in 2003 to encourage coconut plantation. “We had an economic reason in mind,” said the activist. “Pakistan spends over two billion dollars on importing edible oil. It was worth a try.” The campaign, however, did not bear fruit. “It did not continue for long since there was no official patronage,” said Iqbal. “But we did succeed in encouraging a few people to import trees from Sri Lanka and plant them at home.”
DHA resident, Shujaat Ali Baig, tried his luck. “None of the trees survived,” he said. “Slowly, all of them died. I think it has to do something with our environment.”
The DHA Horticulture Director Major (retd) Yousuf agreed with Baig. “Trees need plenty of rain. It does not matter if you live close to the coast,” he said. “Our soil has acid and other impurities, which do not support the plant.” While talking to The Express Tribune, Major Yousuf said that more than 100 coconut trees were planted at the Nisar Shaheed Park. “It has been very difficult to take care of them,” he said. “Karachi gets really windy for four months - from July onwards and this makes it difficult for coconut trees to survive.”
However, nearly a thousand saplings are being planted every year, especially in farms on the outskirts of the city near Jumma Goth. Muhammad Masood, a farm caretaker, said that around 800 coconut trees were being looked after by a contractor. He added that the trees were planted for scenic beauty. “It is easy to grow a coconut tree,” he said. “They need to be watered regularly and that is all. Some of the old ones can suck water from ground themselves.”
He did not say how much the contractor was paying the farm owner. “Each tree produces 250 coconuts a year,” he said. “We have leased the place out.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2011.
Coconut traders claim that around Rs400 million worth of fruit is grown and sold by households every year.
Some people take the towering trees in their yards for granted. Annoyed by ripe coconuts falling on their cars and damaging wind shields and bonnets, some even pay to have fruit and dried leaves cleared away. For 25-year-old Muhammad Rafiq and two of his workers, this is their livelihood. They roam the streets of Clifton and Defence every other day hoping to strike a good deal.
“Competition is tough these days,” he said, scrambling down a tree towering up to the second floor of an apartment complex in Clifton Block IX. “This used to be the exclusive trade for us Bengalis, these days everyone has jumped into it.”
Rafiq added that he pays between Rs6,000 and Rs8,000 for an average tree, which has around 100 coconuts a year. However, for some large trees, these traders can pay up to Rs20,000.
Rafiq buys one coconut for Rs20 and sells it for Rs40 in the wholesale market. “The people on the pushcarts sell the same coconut for Rs65,” he said. “You can imagine what the profit margin is like in this business.”
The city government and Defense Housing Authority (DHA) have no data regarding the number of coconut trees in the city. But wholesalers claim that at least 200,000 trees were being privately maintained in houses across the city. According to Rafiq, most of these trees are located in DHA, Clifton, Malir, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and North Nazimabad. “People have now realised that they can make money by planting a tree at home,” he said. “They ask me to pay more or be prepared to be dumped for another trader.”
A couple of years ago, the city government was conducting an experiment by planting coconut trees across the city - they wanted to check if the trees could adopt to Karachi’s atmosphere. There is, however, no official report on the success or failure of the project.
Social activist Kaukab Iqbal spearheaded a campaign in 2003 to encourage coconut plantation. “We had an economic reason in mind,” said the activist. “Pakistan spends over two billion dollars on importing edible oil. It was worth a try.” The campaign, however, did not bear fruit. “It did not continue for long since there was no official patronage,” said Iqbal. “But we did succeed in encouraging a few people to import trees from Sri Lanka and plant them at home.”
DHA resident, Shujaat Ali Baig, tried his luck. “None of the trees survived,” he said. “Slowly, all of them died. I think it has to do something with our environment.”
The DHA Horticulture Director Major (retd) Yousuf agreed with Baig. “Trees need plenty of rain. It does not matter if you live close to the coast,” he said. “Our soil has acid and other impurities, which do not support the plant.” While talking to The Express Tribune, Major Yousuf said that more than 100 coconut trees were planted at the Nisar Shaheed Park. “It has been very difficult to take care of them,” he said. “Karachi gets really windy for four months - from July onwards and this makes it difficult for coconut trees to survive.”
However, nearly a thousand saplings are being planted every year, especially in farms on the outskirts of the city near Jumma Goth. Muhammad Masood, a farm caretaker, said that around 800 coconut trees were being looked after by a contractor. He added that the trees were planted for scenic beauty. “It is easy to grow a coconut tree,” he said. “They need to be watered regularly and that is all. Some of the old ones can suck water from ground themselves.”
He did not say how much the contractor was paying the farm owner. “Each tree produces 250 coconuts a year,” he said. “We have leased the place out.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2011.