(The farmer climbing the staircase. Photo Credit: Punch News)
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 a Pidgin-language news platform on Thursday.
The report was originally published in Pidgin and has been translated into English for this story.
According to the report, third-generation farmer Dinakaraj installed the spiral iron staircase around a palm tree on his farm in Salaipudur, a village in Tamil Nadu, India, saying it would make sap harvesting easier, as not many people are able to climb palm trees, a shortage that informed his decision to build the structure.
The report also detailed the cost of the project and its expected returns, quoting Dinakaraj as saying the staircase cost him $629, about ₦60,000 in Indian rupee terms, and that the investment could pay off significantly, as he could earn up to $1,048, about 100,000 Indian rupees, every year from just one tree.
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.