Market shopping this weekend
FOR this Christmas, Shafrin Shabnam is urging the people of Fiji to visit the Sigatoka Municipal Market to shop for their Christmas produce.
With only two days left until Christmas, Mrs Shabnam a market vendor at the Sigatoka market is encouraging Fijian living close to Sigatoka to shop today and tomorrow for fresh produce from vendors like her at market.
The 29-year-old from Korotogo in Sigatoka spends every day at the market assisting her husband.
The couple goes daily to the market to sell their produce and return home after a day of selling vegetables together.
Mrs Shabnam said she buys her produce from farmers in Suva, Nausori, Nadi and the Sigatoka Valley.
She said having a lot of produce suppliers help them maintain good supply of vegetables for their customers.
"We sell watermelons, gingers, coconuts, long beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and other vegetables," she said.
"Watermelons are quite popular right now among our customers because of the heat currently experienced in the West.
"Customers love a good watermelon during this time so a lot of them stop over to buy it from us."
She said ginger comes in second as a popular produce.
She said they buy vegetables and fruits three times a week from the farmers.
"We go far for our produce because we know how important it is to provide our customers with fresh produce," she said.
The mother of one said busy days at the market for her and her husband are usually Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; whereas Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often considered slow days.
She said in a day she can make $100 but only if business is good.
"On slow days we can just make $50 or $30 in a day," she said.
"Right now profit is less compared to what we use to earn before.
"Now with the cost of living being so high, we have to put extra cash aside.
"Sometimes when we buy vegetables from farmers we have to travel all the way to Suva and that is expensive too but we have to do it in order to get good supplies."
Today the couple are simply building their new home at
Malaqereqere from the money they earn from the market.
"Right now we are renting at Korotogo," she said.
"With what we have earned, we have been able to buy a piece of land and have started building our home.
"Apart from our building expenses, there are also household expenses and transportation that we look at, so managing the money we earn is very important to us."
With the money they earn they have also been able to financially support their child and provide him with a good education.
Fiddlehead ferns are high in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, which are often found in so-called “superfoods.” They can be especially good for people who don’t eat fish, which are also high in essential fatty acids. One serving of fiddlehead ferns provides about 11 per cent of the daily potassium you need. Potassium has been shown to help maintain healthy blood pressure. It also provides about 34 per cent of the vitamin C you need, which helps strengthen your immune system. A serving of this will also provide you with 10 per cent of the daily
fiber you need.