Husband, Wife Team Unbeatable For Nadogo Couple

Husband and wife market vendors Chandar Dutt and Subhashni Devi have been selling fruits and yaqona as their source of living.

Subhashni Devi at Suva Municipal market on July 4, 2018.

Waking up early in the morning and heading to the Suva Market every day is something they always look forward to.

This has been their routine for more than a decade for the Nadogo couple from Macuata.

Mr Dutt, 49, and wife Devi, a fruit seller at Suva municipal market forget about their worries and are excited about their daily business.

“We always try to believe in good fortunate before our day gets start­ed,” Mr Dutt said.

“We are a formidable team, we plan and work to achieve what we want from our business,” he said.

“Despite challenges they work as a team to overcome them.

“Being a market vendor for years, we now know the seasons of the fruits, vegetables and cash crops like yaqona in their due season.”

Mr Dutt sells his waka for $120 to $140 per kilogram, lewena prices range from $60 to $90 and kasa pric­es from $40 to $50.

“I also sell kava bowl with handle for $5 for kava lovers and sells suki (Fijian tobacco) for $1 a piece,” he said.

Outspoken Dutt gets his yaqona supply from Gau, Koro, Ovalau and Kadavu islands.

“Selling yaqona and fruits in the market is not a problem because we are much closer to our agents and manage to earn enough money for the family,” he said.

Their fruits supplies come from Ali’s Fresh Fruit supplies and from Bial Naidu at Laucala beach outside Suva.

Ms Devi sells apples, pears, or­anges, grapes, pineapples, bananas, and pawpaws.

“Different sizes of fruits determine their costs,” Mrs Devi said.

“For apples, price ranges from 35 cents to a dollar each while a pear cost $1. Oranges cost 80 cents each for medium ones and $1 for big ones, grapes cost $12 per kilogram, pine­apple prices range from 50 cents to $1 a piece while bananas and paw­paws cost $5 per heap,” she said.

Sometimes Ms Devi face the chal­lenge of not having her supply on time because of change in weather pattern.

“We enjoying what we doing and have never regretted anything. We are making ends meet and we look forward to building a better future for the family,” she said.