BY CHRIS ALEX
RURAL Kava farmers in the Makira/Ulawa Province are calling on the next government after the April 17 polls to provide more support in the Kava domestic market as they struggle to sell their Kava crops due to a lack of shipping service.
Kava, a traditional drink made from the root of the kava plant, has now become a popular beverage in the Solomon Islands. However, local farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living from growing and selling kava, as they face transportation difficulties for kava buyers in Honiara.
“We are really struggling to make ends meet,” says Thomas Wale, a kava farmer from Hanunu village on the weather coast of Makira Province. “Back in our villages, we work tirelessly to produce quality kava products, but there has been a lack of proper marketing infrastructure in our country for years, and it’s getting harder and harder to make a profit. We need our governments to step in and help us out.”
Wale emphasized the plight of farmers who often travel to Honiara, the capital, only to face lengthy waiting periods to find buyers for their kava produces.
“Sometimes,” he explained, “our bags of kava are left to decompose in town because of the absence of buyers.”
Expressing frustration at the current situation, Wale urged fellow citizens to unite and vote for a government that prioritizes the needs of grassroots communities.
“I call for every fellow citizen to work hand in hand, vote for a government that will hear the echoes from the grassroots, and address people’s needs,” he expressed.
Thomas’s call is in line with the larger problem of agricultural infrastructure and assistance in the Solomon Islands, where farmers frequently face obstacles in finding markets for their produce.
The problem of Kava farmers like Wale is expected to come up frequently in political debate as the country prepares for the coming combined election in 2024, highlighting the critical need for practical solutions to support the agricultural sector.
