Mollyn Nakabea 
Vendors are calling on the Government to introduce measures to stabilise the prices of essential goods. [Photo: FILE]
A farmer from Nadroga has reduced her trips to the Suva Municipal Market to sell her produce due to rising transportation costs.
Eseta Naturi says she now sells her produce only two days a week, allowing her to save enough money for groceries and other household needs.
Like many others, Naturi is hopeful the upcoming National Budget will provide relief to farmers, middlemen, and vendors.
She says they have to budget well for their weekly expenses.
“Before, $100 would get you a decent amount of groceries, but now that is not the case because of the high cost of groceries and transportation. Right now, everyone is struggling with the price of everything. As vendors, we see it as well when we don’t get that many sales within a week.”
Middleman, Simon Lal, claims his profit has declined.
“We are not getting that much of a profit. That’s what I said; it is just fluctuating. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s the pocket. The money goes from the pocket. Because the vegetable price is high, life is tough now, because we have to buy groceries from the shop.”
Lal says they’re looking forward to the new budget.
“I hope to see, like, if the prices are valued and if the price is down, and then it’s good for the people. Not for us, but for the entire people, you know. Because there are so many poor people in our country. And so many people are out of jobs. So many young boys and girls, so many families are out of jobs.”
Vendors are calling on the Government to introduce measures to stabilise the prices of essential goods, saying this will ease the financial burden on both sellers and consumers struggling with the high cost of living.
