Green coconuts bring high profit to traders especially during summer when demand for the fruit containing refreshing sweet water sees rise in different places including capital Dhaka.

On the other hand, the growers of the nutritious fruit in the southern region have to remain 'satisfied' with small prices.

The trees are planted in June and July and bear fruits after four or five years, said Md Riaj Bahadur, agriculture officer of Rajapur.

Local small traders buy coconuts from the farmers, then it is sold to businessmen who carry it to Dhaka to sell it to warehouses, said Rahman Sheikh, a trader who brings coconut to Dhaka.

"Each coconut is bought for Tk 13 to 15 from the farmers by the local collectors. I buy it from them for Tk 20, and sell it for Tk 29 to 32 to the warehouses in the capital. There the fruit sellers or vendors purchase it for Tk 36 to 45 and sell it to consumers for Tk 45 to 60 or more, depending on the situation," he said.

"We load 5,000 to 6,000 coconuts on a truck for each trip to Dhaka and do it six times in a month. We earn Tk 5 to 10 by selling each coconut and monthly profit stands up to Tk 2 lakh," said Bachchu Howlader, business partner of Rahman.

Rahman and Bachchu, who have continued the business for about 20 years, said they collect green coconuts from the southern region as its quality is high and price reasonable.

"I am surprised to know that a green coconut is sold for Tk 60 to 70 in the capital while we get only Tk 12 to 15 for each. The traders are becoming rich but we are remaining poor," said Md Hasan a coconut grower of Rajapur.  

Several other farmers of the area echoed the same.