A scene during the event on Saturday.
Some of the volunteers on Saturday.
~ Sale to continue daily until container empty ~
PHILIPSBURG–More than 400 persons braved the heavy downpour on Saturday and more than 100 on Sunday to attend the St. Maarten Consumers Coalition’s fresh fruit and vegetable fair at the WIFOL Building.
Coalition representative Raymond Jessurun told The Daily Herald on Sunday that more than 500 persons had registered at the event over the weekend.
“Some couldn’t register on Saturday because it was raining,” he said, noting that the Coalition will continue with the sales daily until all the items in the containers that were brought in from the Dominican Republic with the fresh items, have been sold. “It was exactly as we expected. We have been trying to meet the demands and cater to what people want. They are happy with the prices and happy with what they got. We wanted to provide quality to our members. By uniting our purchasing power, we can demand better,” he said.
More than 50 volunteers assisted in the event on Saturday, and some consumers who had come to purchase goods, ended up volunteering. More volunteers are needed so that one set is not burnt out. “The more volunteers we have, the more we can do for one another.”
The funds raised during the sale of the items will go back into bringing another container of fresh produce for consumers. The Coalition had done a lot of preparation for more than a year, to make the sale a reality. “And we are very happy with this response already.”
The food sale is part of the Coalition’s food and nutrition programme to help alleviate the burden on households by selling fruits, vegetables, provisions and other essentials from the Dominican Republic, to members of its affiliate organisations for 30 to 40 per cent less than supermarket cost. The intention is not just to provide affordable, healthy items, but also to prove that it is possible to sell them at reasonable prices. A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables were on sale during the event, including cucumbers, carrots, beets, plantains, pumpkin, sweet potato, yams, sweet peppers, celery, oregano, mint, herbs, tomatoes, avocadoes, pineapples, mangoes, papaya, limes, banana and organic honey, amongst other items.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/90712-more-than-500-attend-fruit-vegetable-fair-over-weekend
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