Kava shortage closes Vanuatu capital bars

[TheKavaSociety]

It seems that I left just in time to avoid this! ...or this could explain the bad kava I had at some of the nakamals towards the end of my stay.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/263201/kava-shortage-closes-vanuatu-capital-bars

This is quite shocking!
"More than 1,000 families in Port Vila who use kava as their main source of income, have been prompted to open their own kava bars."

I thought PV only had around 100 nakamals?

 

[Gourmet Hawaiian Kava]

Thanks for sharing this with us Henry, I just wish I could pay $6 US per Kilo of good Noble Vanuatu kava. Wow, $6 us dollars, , imagine how much kava is in $6 worth of kava, 1 kilo that's how much. .
I must resist the urge to move to Vanuatu. Well it's not all that bad here in Hawaii so I guess I will continue to pay a higher price for now.
Really Henry, thanks for posting this, it is amazing how popular kava is now compared to right after the you know what with Germany in the late 1990's. Aloha.

Chris

 

[Deactivated Account]

300% increase to $6 USD a kg ? It's always (well for the 7 or 8 years I've been visiting) been 300vt a kg which is about the same as $3USD. That's what I see signs for all over Efate & Ifira

I've seen the shortages twice in my visits. At election time the politicians buy up & give it out free to buy votes & once other due to a serious fatal ship accident. The word spreads like Ebola but it just never seems to hit. The expats I know there that buy & sell kava never seem worried about it as they say 'it's still growing'

What I have learnt is that politicians treat kava in Vanuatu like puppets manipulating it left right & centre continually.

 

[Deactivated Account]

"More than 1,000 families in Port Vila who use kava as their main source of income, have been prompted to open their own kava bars."

I thought PV only had around 100 nakamals?

A lot of nakamals are community owned. One bar might be supporting 10 families. They all have an input to some degree.

Others are owned by say one man but he will have 10 workers chopping/straining & delivering. It's their only income.

 

[kavadude]

Sorry guys. I was drinking @nemo level quantities of kava over christmas break and probably caused this.

 

[Bula Kava House]

Many people in the kava business in Vanuatu take much of January off, leading to these shortages. We had to stock up in December to make sure we had enough to get us through.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

from an aeriel view, vanuatu should just look like giant masses of kava plants popping out of the ocean.
...i suppose some food crops should be interspersed as well...

 

[verticity]

Many people in the kava business in Vanuatu take much of January off, leading to these shortages. We had to stock up in December to make sure we had enough to get us through.

Huh, is that because it's the middle of Summer there?

 

[kavadude]

Stop.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

we just love kava so much though.

 

[kavadude]

we just love kava so much though.

That's a ban for sure.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

 

[Bula Kava House]

Huh, is that because it's the middle of Summer there?

As far as I can gather, there are some local holidays, and it's just kind of a known thing to take some time off this time of year.

 

[StinkWeed]

Many people in the kava business in Vanuatu take much of January off, leading to these shortages. We had to stock up in December to make sure we had enough to get us through.

I know another place that has plenty of kava too!

@Judd Rench 's link until I re read it after @Deleted User and @shakas put theirs up

 

[TheKavaSociety]

Fortunately, no kava shortages in NZ!

 

[Paulie-Paul]

By the way theres a shortage of Kava at my house too, I will pay $6 a kilo to anyone who can help