Luisa Reece, a vendor at the new Nakasi Market, expressed her satisfaction with the facility, highlighting it as a significant enhancement for vendors selling their produce. “We are truly thankful to the government for addressing our request to establish a market,” Ms. Reece remarked.
She noted the previous challenges vendors faced at Nakasi, where they had to endure harsh weather conditions while trying to sell their goods. “In the past, vendors often had to sit in the rain and sun; everyone was struggling to get by,” she explained. Now, under the new market structure, Ms. Reece appreciates that all vendors can operate together in a more comfortable environment.
“In the past, many customers would drive through, making it difficult for us to serve them,” she added. “In the new market, we can relax and wait for customers to come to us.” She emphasized the improved convenience of the new location for both vendors and customers, with ample parking allowing shoppers to browse freely.
“Customers are able to park their cars and stroll around to purchase vegetables and root crops,” Ms. Reece stated. She contrasted this with the chaos of the previous location on the main road, where customers were often in a hurry and unable to properly examine the produce.
She also recalled that the town council used to remove vendors from their old temporary stalls along the main road. “The new Nakasi market brings numerous enhancements that will assist us,” she noted. Coming from Nayavutoka village in Ra, she mentioned that the new market’s proximity to Korovou Town and Suva is beneficial, as it is a closer route compared to Rakiraki Town, where she would have to take two buses.
Ms. Reece explained that a single bus ride to Suva makes it more convenient for her to sell her produce. If she does not sell everything, she allows other vendors to sell on her behalf. She also highlighted that the new market provides a safe storage place for their goods, eliminating the daily struggle of transporting produce. “I sell lemons, pawpaws, pumpkin, and cassava that we’ve brought from the village,” she shared.
Typically, Ms. Reece collaborates with her daughter to sell their produce and noted her connection to the sports world as the aunt of All Blacks rugby union winger Sevu Reece, being a cousin to Sevu’s father.