Tanna market vendors have been engaging in the mobile market activity since the COVID- 19 State of Emergency (SOE) was declared in Vanuatu.
Mobile market is an initiative introduced by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) as an opportunity for market vendors to sell fresh local produce to people at their door step.
Reports received from the Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) for West Tanna, Isaac Iaruel, stated that mobile market has become a popular activity for Tanna farmers.
“Farmers take up this activity at their own expenses to deliver fresh local produce according to negotiations and deals that the farmers have with their relatives who were married to other parts of Tanna.
“For example, West Tanna was badly affected by drought for the last three months so local fresh produce were provided to them through mobile market,” said Mr Iaruel.
The Lenakel market house was accessible to many farmers and market vendors before the COVID- 19 SOE was declared and due to lockdown of the market house the famers decided to use mobile phones to connect with each other and make arrangement for selling location.
Mr Iaruel stated that “Monday this week, I was at Loukotai to witness the mobile market.
“One of the farmers said mobile market is a quick way to sell out their local supplies other than at Lenakel market house where venders tend to spend whole day at the market place.
“The prices of local produce is much cheaper because farmers have high quantity of supplies and the transport owners offered special rates to farmers.
“Farmers were impressed to see that with mobile market there is less expense and more income,” he added.
“As an Agriculture Officer working for some years now on Tanna, I have observed that for the farmers mobile market is a new way of earning income.
“Farmers thought that Lenakel market house is the only avenue to sell their local produce but they now discover that there are other ways of selling their products.
“I would really like to see DARD continue to encourage mobile marketing as many vulnerable people like people with special needs, sick people and old people who need fresh produce could access them at their doorstep.
“This is a good initiative that farmers should continue to implement to avoid crowding at the market place and at the same time an easy and quick way to sell local food instead of sitting at the market house whole day without earning much income.
“It also provides more time for farmers to go to the garden and plant more food,” Mr Iaruel concluded.