Can't keep a determined woman down, shows Kerala's 1st woman toddy tapper

Toddy, the fermented sap of coconut flowers, is a favourite of Kerala tipplers, who are mostly men. As are most toddy tappers. Till C Sheeja (40) joined the trade in 2019. A resident of Panniyode, near Koothuparamba, she got a toddy tapping licence from Koothuparamba Excise Range in Kannur. She climbs around 10 palm trees every day, each tree thrice, early morning and late evening, to extract toddy. That's not all. At noon every day, she climbs again to prune overhanging palm fronds.