A farming family
KUNJA NAIR has been selling vegetables and root crops at the Nausori Municipal Market for the past nine years.
Mr Nair is assisted by his wife Raj Mani and together they sell produce from Mondays to Fridays at the market.
Before selling at the new Nausori Municipal Market, Mr Nair was among vendors who operated their tables from the old market (once situated opposite the Nausori Police Station).
Today he and his wife sit comfortably inside the new market selling their fresh produce.
"Everything I sell here is from my farm in Vuci Rd," he said.
"I have got five kids and they are all working and are married.
"Two of my children are in New Zealand."
The 69-year-old from a farming family.
His late father was a cane farmer, so for him it was something he took up wholeheartedly.
"We had a land in Vuci Rd in Nausori and during my young days I would plant rice when the Rewa Rice industry was still running," he said.
"After a few years I started
comes doing vegetable farming.
"There were a lot of root crops and vegetables that we planted."
Apart from being a good farmer, Mr Nair is also good at selling produce.
Mr Nair said customers always buy vegetables from his stall because it's fresh.
"I'm a farmer and would harvest vegetables every day," he said.
"Customers like the fresh vegetables and root crops that we bring."
Like other farmers and vendors — there are always challenges that try to hinder businessess from becoming a success.
Mr Nair said like many they too also faced some challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our market business didn't go well," he said.
"People were not working and not a lot of customers were coming to buy our root crops and vegetables but now with everything back to normal we are doing well again."
He said he and his wife go to the market quite early every morning.
"Every Saturday we would come at 7am and during the weekdays we would come at 9am," he said.
"We harvest in the mornings and then come to the market to sell.
"The turn out from customers has been good."
He said farming gave them an opportunity to earn a lot of money.
"You can earn money every day," he said.
"When you start it will be hard but once you keep going you will be interested in farming.
"My son is also farming and goes to work as well.
He said farming also promotes healthy living with eating fresh fruits and vegetables.