Business normalises for top Navua crop exporter
Almost 200 employees of Ben’s Trading Limited have returned to work.
Managing director Peni Moi said he allowed the staff to return to work to help them earn some money during this difficult time.
Ben’s Trading Limited is a Navua based company that exports root crops such as dalo and cassava to the overseas market.
Since the lockdown was lifted last month for Lautoka and Suva, employees have reached out to return to work.
“The employees have started work because they too have suffered from the lockdown to Tropical Cyclone Harold,” he said.
With business slowly normalising, Mr Moi had exported 40 tonnes of dalo to New Zealand yesterday. In the previous week, 40 tonnes of dalo was also exported to the United States of America. However, Mr Moi expressed his concern over the increase in freight charges.
He said the quantity of his crops to be exported had to be reduced as freight charges were too high. To ease export operations, Mr Moi hopes that shipping companies and freight services have a proper schedule in place.
Mr Moi also hoped farmers would recover from any damages caused from flooding during TC Harold to ensure a consistent supply of crops for exporting.
Ben’s Trading Limited’s main processing plant is located in Navua.