Cooling drinks in demand as hot spell persists

Refreshing: People buying coconuts at a stall in Skudai, Johor.

JOHOR BARU: The sales of coconut has been increasing over the past few weeks as people look for refreshing drinks to quench their thirst amid the hot and dry weather.

Tie Kian Chow, 41, who sells coconut and other fruits at a stall here in Skudai, said that he has been able to sell between 300 and 600 fresh coconuts daily since the hot spell began in the middle of May.

“It is a trend we see every year. Each time the weather gets too hot, more people will be looking for coconut water to quench their thirst.

“The number of customers I received since the middle of last month has increased by about 30% compared with earlier this year,” he told The Star.

Tie said aside from locals, many of his customers are also visitors that have come from Singapore and Indonesia.

“There is a high demand for coconut water these days, but it is still not as high as the demand we saw during the peak of the vaccination season last year.

“At that time, I could even sell over 1,000 coconuts in just one day,” he added.

Xiao Chee Neng, 30, who also sells coconuts at Skudai, said the number of customers he has been receiving has doubled since last month.

“At least 100 coconuts are sold daily during the current hot season and I believe the number will increase in the next few weeks.

“Some believe that there are some cooling properties in coconut water while others just enjoy the refreshing feeling they get when drinking it,” he said.

He added that the reopening of the border with Singapore has also helped boost business.

Ali Mustafa, 54, who runs a stall in Kulai, said other refreshing and cold drinks such as cendol and sugarcane water are also in high demand.

“Coconut water is the fa- vourite drink among many during hot and dry seasons. Currently, I can sell about 50 coconuts in a day, an increase of about 30%,” he said.