Increased fuel price forces surge in produces at Gizo market
INCREASE in fuel price especially petrol in Western Province has resulted in a knock-on effect with market vendors increasing the price of their produce at the Gizo main market.
The Gizo main market currently opens three days a week for only fully vaccinated vendors and customers.
Over the past days the price of local produces like fruits, root crops and vegetables have increased.
Given the increase in price, customers visiting Gizo Market has also reduced.
Although the supply of market produce is abundant the increase in price has seen customers reluctant to buy.
This is because customers are also facing financial issue which also affected their budget.
On Mondays and Fridays, the markets are busy when people from the nearby come to do their shopping.
But the increase of price has been attributed to increase of fuel and boat fare.
A woman market vendor from Vella said to travel from her village to Gizo is now very expensive.
She said they will have to pay for the freight of their market produce, plus fare and the market fees.
“With the fuel price also increasing, this means, our fare as passengers also increases as well.
“So this has forced us to put up the prices to at least meet our expenses and make a little profit to pay for our basic needs and support my family,” she added.
A visit by the paper to the market yesterday saw the price of a green cabbage being sold at $15 per parcel compared to its normal price of $5 to $10.
Other local produces also experienced changes in price as well.
Many vendors could not travel to Gizo due to lockdown in their communities, lack of fuel, increase in boat fare and freights and being unvaccinated.
Only Kolombangara and Kongu vendors are still dominating the Gizo market, with very few market vendors from Vella, Simbo and Rannogah.
By ULUTAH GINA
Gizo News Bureau
