Hi everyone, I am sure you all know that there was a big cyclone that hit Vanuatu and it destroyed a major portion of Vanuatu. By estimation over 90% of the structures are destroyed. The kava plants are destroyed and a few lives were lost. This is a bad time for Vanuatu but in time they will recover.
The situation with the kava is not new, this has happened in Fiji and more recently in Samoa. The storm in Samoa destroyed there kava too.
Now since there is so much kava in Vanuatu that has been damaged or destroyed they will be harvesting it all to try to make some money and not loose all the effort and care they put into the kava. That being said there is a good chance that the quality of the kava will drop because of young plants being harvested and the fact that there is going to be so many kava plants they are going to try to process that some of it will rot and spoil before it can be processed, this is what happened in Fiji and Samoa.
It will take a few years before the kava gets back to normal in Vanuatu and that will put a strain on all the other kava producing areas.
For example we know that Fiji gets over half of there kava from Vanuatu so that means they will not be able to get it now so they will be keeping there kava to drink instead of selling it. Please be assured that I have a very good supply of Hawaiian kava on my farm and will have plenty of kava in this upcoming kava shortage, I also have a good supply of Fijian kava and Vanuatu kava still on hand. Let us all hope that this kava situation in Vanuatu does not last long and that they are back up and running in no time at all.
I have talked to a few kava suppliers in Vanuatu and they both say the same thing, destruction, the kava market is unsure right now in Vanuatu, they are still assessing the situation, we will get more news in the days to come.
Also I was able to find out that Dr. Lebot and his family is doing fine, there house was damaged but still standing so that is good.
Aloha to all.
Chris
The situation with the kava is not new, this has happened in Fiji and more recently in Samoa. The storm in Samoa destroyed there kava too.
Now since there is so much kava in Vanuatu that has been damaged or destroyed they will be harvesting it all to try to make some money and not loose all the effort and care they put into the kava. That being said there is a good chance that the quality of the kava will drop because of young plants being harvested and the fact that there is going to be so many kava plants they are going to try to process that some of it will rot and spoil before it can be processed, this is what happened in Fiji and Samoa.
It will take a few years before the kava gets back to normal in Vanuatu and that will put a strain on all the other kava producing areas.
For example we know that Fiji gets over half of there kava from Vanuatu so that means they will not be able to get it now so they will be keeping there kava to drink instead of selling it. Please be assured that I have a very good supply of Hawaiian kava on my farm and will have plenty of kava in this upcoming kava shortage, I also have a good supply of Fijian kava and Vanuatu kava still on hand. Let us all hope that this kava situation in Vanuatu does not last long and that they are back up and running in no time at all.
I have talked to a few kava suppliers in Vanuatu and they both say the same thing, destruction, the kava market is unsure right now in Vanuatu, they are still assessing the situation, we will get more news in the days to come.
Also I was able to find out that Dr. Lebot and his family is doing fine, there house was damaged but still standing so that is good.
Aloha to all.
Chris