So the shortage of kava was not caused by Severe TC Winston. Well I be!

The rise in price happened well before the cyclone (FT 14/6).

This was revealed by the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources Joeli Cawaki after a public consultation with Suva market vendors on the Kava Bill.

Mr Cawaki said farmers were not planting enough of the crop.

“We heard from the farmers and the market vendors that the increase in price started well before the cyclone in February. When the cyclone struck, it just put a stoppage to the supply so the demand is very high,” he said.

“We also heard that there’s less young and able-bodied people out there farming the crop and vendors were now turning to Vanuatu to import kava.

“We want to entice more young people into the industry because the farmers are getting old, they’re not planting like before and the younger generation seem unwilling to work in the farms.”

It seems the younger generation only drink kava, but not plant it.

Please, please honourable Joeli Cawaki, ban Vanuatu kava, it gives me a headache. I get a headache everywhere.