Business

Lautoka market vendors hoping for stall fees to be waived

May 26, 2021 2:02 pm

The Lautoka market

Sales at the Lautoka market continue to plummet with vendors saying that many Fijians don’t have money to spend.

Vendor, Vasemaca Ranadi says in some cases produce are not sold and are left for a while which at times are even thrown away because they start to rot.

“For my mandarin, it takes me two days to sell and the eggplant I started selling them from Monday but now it’s Wednesday and the eggplant is still lying on top of my stall.”

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Ranadi says they are really struggling and are even lucky to earn $30 in a week.

Another vendor, Makereta Volakawabula, says with many already finding it hard, they are hoping that their stall fees are waived.

Currently a permanent vendor is paying $30 a table weekly.

This is also according to the size of the table.

“Yes it’s a lot we have to struggle whatever we are selling now, sometimes we just earn $5 a day.”

She also hopes that the curfew is moved back to 11pm which will allow them more time to sell their produce in a day.

The other issue many vendors are facing is having to fork out extra to buy produce directly from the suppliers at the borders.