Lautoka Market vendor, Sarita Devi is working at a loss after the increase of vegetable prices from farmers, following the recent floods. This has begun to affect her business.

Ms Devi, a single parent, has been a vendor at the Lautoka Market for more than 40 years and has depended on her income from her vegetable sales to purchase food, pay her bills and care for her bedridden mother.

She said because of the recent floods, the prices of vegetables had increased immensely, and many vendors were selling at a loss.

“I don’t make profit now,” she said.

“We don’t grow the vegetables; we buy it from the farmers; we are the middleman, and it is a bit expensive.

“I am selling lettuce for $3 and $4, two kilos of lettuce are for $25 and one and a half kilos of lettuce will be $25; this is because of the weather.”

She said previously, five kilos of lettuce could be purchased for $20.

“I buy a bag of cucumbers for $60; I buy lime for $5 a kilo and I sell it for $3 a heap,” she added.

Lautoka Market Vendors Association president, Filomena Ditukana said when the farmers outside Lautoka were present to sell their produce, they had come in with their high prices.

“When they come in with their soaring prices, the vendors here also sell at a high price, they have no choice,” Ms Ditukana said.

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