BY JOSES SAREN
SHOPPERS at Honiara markets are finding less slippery cabbage as sellers and farmers say the prolonged dry season has significantly cut down harvests.
A seller at Central Market, Mark, told Island Sun that the lack of rain is directly affecting crop growth.
“The prolonged dry season, without rain, has affected the growth,” he said.
At Fisheries Market, vendor Margaret also pointed to the current El Niño weather pattern as the cause.
“It’s because of this El Niño, the dry season,” she said.
At White River Market, farmer Joyce said what was once a reliable harvest has visibly shrunk.
“Harvests are noticeably reduced because of suppressed growth,” she said.
Market buyer Dalcy said the shortage is also changing how slippery cabbage is being sold across Honiara’s markets.
She said demand for slippery cabbage is always high, but when farmers bring less to market, they make the bundles smaller to stretch what they have.
Dalcy added that it is not only everyday buyers competing for the limited supply — resellers are also purchasing stock, making it even harder for ordinary shoppers to find.
For many Honiara families, slippery cabbage is a daily fixture on the dinner table. It is cooked in soups or served alongside rice and fish, and is widely grown in home gardens across the island.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that El Niño “may also bring drier weather in some of the Pacific islands, threatening food and water shortages.”
The FAO also noted that when harvests are reduced, supply decreases, which then leads to price increases and an imbalance between supply and demand.
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has similarly noted that Pacific islands rely on fresh rainwater for drinking and watering crops, and that severe droughts linked to El Niño can negatively impact food security and the economy.
If the dry weather continues, market shelves could get even emptier and prices may rise further in the weeks ahead.
Experts warn that slippery cabbage may only be the beginning. A food security study on Solomon Islands found that El Niño-induced drought has previously affected taro gardens across the country. Separate research found that a 50 percent drop in sweet potato productivity caused by El Niño drought could result in a 75 percent increase in sweet potato prices — a significant blow for ordinary families.
With Solomon Islands already heavily dependent on imported food, any further drop in locally grown produce could put serious pressure on household food budgets across Honiara.
Photo credit: Joses Saren
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