Sixty-Seven per cent of vendors in Sigatoka Market were severely impacted when the tourism industry closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey by the Fiji National University (FNU) and University of the South Pacific (USP).
The survey was conducted by FNU’s College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry assistant Professor Salesh Kumar and USP senior economics lecturer Neelesh Gounder on the COVID-19, Domestic agricultural supply chain and food security: The case of Fiji.
Assistant Prof Kumar said one in particular were vendors in Sigatoka Valley who relied solely on the tourism industry.
He said the survey further showed that 24 per cent of vendors were less impacted, while another nine per cent were not affected at all.
“Smallholder farmers and majority of market vendors have strong dependence on farming incomes for their livelihoods,” he said.
“The impact of COVID-19 is very different from other shocks as it has been ongoing for 18 months now.
“Supply has been disrupted due to containment zones and health related restrictions: it would be useful to have an agricultural supply system that is set up to serve a broad range of consumers in urban areas.”
The survey was conducted in December 2020 at the Sigatoka municipal market.
