The farmer climbing the staircase. Photo: Screenshot from BBC Pidgin video.
A third-generation farmer in Tamil Nadu, India, has built a spiral iron staircase around a palm tree on his farm, saying it will make sap harvesting easier and more profitable.
The development was reported by BBC Pidgin on Thursday. The report was originally published in Pidgin and has been translated into English for this story.
BBC Pidgin reported, “Third-generation farmer Dinakaraj has installed a spiral iron staircase around a palm tree on his farm in Salaipudur, a village in Tamil Nadu, India.”
According to the report, Dinakaraj said the staircase would make sap harvesting easier.
He explained that people who can climb palm trees are not many, a shortage that informed his decision to build the structure.
BBC Pidgin reported, “”He said it will make sap harvesting easier, as he claimed that people who can climb palm trees are not many.”
The report also detailed the cost of the project and its expected returns.
BBC Pidgin quoted Dinakaraj as saying the staircase cost him $629, about ₦60,000 in Indian rupee terms.
He added that the investment could pay off significantly.
BBC Pidgin said, “He said the staircase cost him $629 (about 60,000 Indian rupee), and he could earn up to $1,048 (about 100,000 Indian rupee) every year from one tree alone.”
Sap harvesting from palm trees is a traditional practice in parts of India, often used to produce jaggery, toddy, and other palm-based products.
Climbing the trees, however, has long posed a safety and labour challenge, with fewer people willing or able to take on the risks involved.
