Luisa Reece, a market vendor, expressed her satisfaction with the new Nakasi Market, highlighting it as a significant upgrade for local sellers. “We are really grateful to the government for addressing our request to build a market,” Ms. Reece stated.
Previously, vendors at Nakasi had to endure harsh weather conditions while selling their goods. “We used to sit out in the rain and sun; it was tough for everyone trying to survive,” she recounted. Now, with the new market, vendors can gather under one roof.
“In the past, most customers drove by quickly, and we struggled to serve them. But inside the new market, we can sit back and wait for customers to come,” Ms. Reece explained. She praised the convenient location of the market for both vendors and shoppers. “Customers can park and take their time walking around to buy vegetables and root crops,” she added.
She noted that at the previous location along the main road, the rush prevented customers from properly examining the produce. Ms. Reece also recalled how the town council used to force vendors away from temporary shelters by the road.
“The new Nakasi Market will bring many improvements to help us,” she affirmed. Ms. Reece, who hails from Nayavutoka village in Ra, noted the market’s accessibility to Korovou Town and Suva is much better than that of Rakiraki Town. Traveling from Nayavutoka to Rakiraki required two bus trips, while it only takes one bus to reach Suva, which is why she chooses this route to sell her goods.
If she is unable to sell all her produce, Ms. Reece has arrangements with other vendors to assist her. She mentioned that they now have a secure space for storing their goods. “There’s no more hassle of moving products in and out every day. I sell lemons, pawpaws, pumpkin, and cassava that we’ve brought from the village,” she said.
Typically, Ms. Reece helps her daughter with their stall, and she is also related to All Blacks rugby player Sevu Reece as a cousin to Sevu’s father.