Summer does not bring expected sales for roadside vendors

Summer is the peak sales period for several roadside vendors. However, slowdown of economy in the last one-and-a-half years has not spared the pushcart vendors, who sell sliced fruits, palmyra fruit (nungu), natural drinks such as bajra koozh, butter milk, tender coconut, padaneer (neera), and fruit juice on the roadsides in the city.

Seller 47-year-old S. Rajeshwari sells bajra koozh (kambankoozh), butter milk, and sliced fruits on the roadside in Race Course from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and earns ₹200 to ₹250 a day. However, despite the onset of summer, sales have not picked up. She says that macro issues such as demonetisation have impacted sales for her, too. Her daily sales have dwindled 50 % after demonetisation. She attributes lack of money with the public as the reason.

For 81-year old S.K. Ramasamy, from Aravarkurichi in Karur district, his daily earning comes from sale of tender coconuts at Peelamedu. He used to sell 70 tender coconuts a day if he does not have pain in hand and earns ₹200 per day. He begins selling as early as 5.15 a.m. and business goes on till 7 p.m. He migrated to Coimbatore in 2002. Normally, during summer months his sales used to touch 80 nuts a day. This year it is 50.

For hundreds of office-goers and even visitors to the city, the roadside vendors offer a range of natural products during summer months from butter milk and tender coconut to fruit plates and ice apple (nongu). This is also the main source of livelihood for vendors like Rajeswari and Ramasamy.

R. Eswaran (48), of Tirunelveli, has come to Coimbatore to try selling palmyra fruit for the first time. Due to poor harvest, the production of palymra fruits has come down this year, he says. Hence, prices have shot up 50%. He used to earn ₹700 per day after selling palmyra fruit. Last summer, he was selling palmyra fruits in Ukkadam Bypass road. He came to Coimbatore with the hope of selling over 1,000 pieces a day, but he could sell only about 600 to 700 fruits a day.