Kumar Perseveres with Long Trips to Earn
If there is a will, there is a way to earn respectfully and achieve a reasonable source of income for me and my family.
These were the encouraging words of vegetable and root crop farmer, Atish Kumar, of Belego in Savusavu.
He could be best described as an opportunistic man and one who dares not to give up on earning reasonably from his produce.
This mindset contributed to his perseverance to travel long distances from his farm in Belego Settlement, Savusavu to Labasa Market on busy periods, especially during the weekends.
He recently sold dalo and root crops at the Labasa Market during the Christmas festivities where he sold the entire week.
Mr Kumar said his inability to access a stall at Savusavu Market was because of vendor crowding and limited space. This, however, encouraged him to explore selling
options at the Labasa market. “Labasa Market is big and has an allocation for additional vendors on weekends, so I opt to sell here to earn rather than sit back and wait for space,” he said.
Originally from Rara Housing in Lajonia, Labasa, Mr Kumar resided in Savusavu to work hard on his farm and prepare his harvest, especially for festivities like vegetables, dalo and yaqona which took months.
The 38-year-old was accustomed to the limited availability of dalo
produce and other root crops in Labasa, so he prepared well during the preparation stage to harvest as many as possible.
The bachelorette remained determined to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty through his commitment to farming.
“I am able to earn well in Labasa and at the same time assist the local demand for dalo and other specific root crops for people of the friendly town,” he said.
He earned quite well during the Christmas festivities because of
the influx of people in Labasa Town doing last-minute shopping.
“Sales have been good, and I managed to sell all my produce before I returned to Savusavu,” he said.
“It took seven months for the dalo produce to be ready, but, it was worth the wait.”
He also shared the New Year season greetings to Fijians across the country.