Vegetable prices up, fruits drop
Market vendor, Premila Lal with her produce and products at her stall at the Suva Market. Photo: JONA KONATACI
By FARISHA AHMED
Vendors at the Suva Market are feeling the pinch of the sky rocketed price of vegetables and root crops from suppliers.
As we head in the cold season in Fiji, more and more produce are coming in the market but at a price that is considered higher than the price in the summer season.
Market vendors claimed that when the supply is high, their price is also high and thus the selling price to customers has to be increased.
This leaves the customers to fork out a little bit extra from their pocket when they are purchasing vegetables and root crops.
The trend now is that there is a marked decrease in quantity of vegetables and root crops sold at the same price.
Produce in season are tomatoes, cauliflower, English cabbage and Chinese cabbage, also french beans and fruits such as pawpaw and watermelon.
Vendors finding difficulty
Premila Lal, a vendor from Cunningham, said with the vegetables in season, the prices are relatively high compared to the times when there is natural disasters and summer season.
“Supply is there which isa good thing, but we have to pay a high price which at times is costly because we don’t make profit,” Mrs Lal said.
Mrs Lal, who is a sole bread winner of her family, says at times they have to keep their product for more than two days before it is sold.
“I usually buy a bag of tomatoes for $60 to $70 bag as it is coming in season, but not everyday we have good sale,” she said.
“We have to take out the costing of the products, plus the stall fees whereby profit is the last thing we can think of.”
Another vendor who buys root crops (dalo and cassava) from Sigatoka suppliers said the root crops are also getting expensive.
“Before we used to buy a bag of cassava for $15 to $20 but recently we are buying them for $30 and selling them at an increased price,”KepueliJikotani from Tacirua said.
Fruits prices drop
With the cold weather that we are experiencing in Fiji, it is actually a high season for fruits.
Pawpaws, watermelons and pineapples are piling in big heaps at the market and people are taking great advantage of it.
They are bought by vendors at $50 to $60 box which according to them are cheaper other than other times.
Customers and vendors are advised to keep their eyes open for supplies and to shop smartly.