A kai (mussel) seller from Nacokaika in Naitasiri says rising fuel and transport costs are making it harder for her to come to Suva to sell at the market.
Elenoa Daveta, who now lives in Lami with her husband and four children, says she has been selling kai since she was young after growing up accompanying her parents and relatives to the market.
@fijivillage.com For Elenoa Daveta, selling kai is more than just earning an income. It is a passion she has carried since childhood and a way to support her family and women back in her village. But with rising fuel and transport costs, bringing kai from Nacokaika in Naitasiri to Suva is becoming more expensive and difficult. Daveta says while some customers complain about the price of kai, many do not see the hard work and transport costs behind every heap sold at the market.
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Daveta says she continues selling to help support her family, while also providing an important link for women and other villagers in Nacokaika who cannot regularly travel to Suva.
She buys kai from her mother and relatives and sells it at the market from Monday to Saturday.
Daveta says when relatives need their kai sold during the week, they send it to her and she returns the money to them after the sale.
However, she says rising transport costs are making this increasingly difficult.
Daveta says carrier fares have increased from about $3 to $5 per person, while transporting a sack of kai can cost another $10.
Insert:(VitiFM)Daveta on fares
She says carriers no longer travel regularly to Suva with only two or three passengers because the trip is not financially practical, forcing many villagers to wait until Saturday when more market vendors are travelling.
Daveta says getting a heavy sack of kai directly from the village to Suva can cost about $40 by a hired vehicle, while other transport options also come with extra charges.
She currently sells larger heaps of kai for $10 and smaller heaps for $5.
Daveta says some customers complain about the prices, but many do not see the work involved in collecting the kai or the cost of transporting it from the village to the market.
She says a full sack can cost about $100, with any profit depending on how much sellers can make from each heap.
