Construction a multi-crore corporate is not any simple process, however when you’ve got an urge for food for journey, you are going to be successful. That is an MBA graduate Somashekar Pogula’s fair take, six years into the millet trade — a space he forayed into following a devastating tournament that modified his concepts on meals intake and diet.
Recounting the adventure that led him from being a company employee within the FMCG business to changing into an entrepreneur and setting up Adithi Millets, Somashekar takes us thru a chain of occasions that weren’t a part of any preliminary plan. The pivotal second used to be an incident in 2013.
“My father used to be affected by a kidney downside and medical doctors couldn’t pinpoint the precise explanation why. Within the months following the analysis, he needed to go through dialysis,” he stocks.
Seeing his father in ache would purpose him to repeatedly ask, “Why him?” — a query to which nobody had the solution. As sanatorium visits grew extra widespread within the coming months, Somashekar’s financial savings grew scarcer. “We spent all our financial savings on personal hospitals earlier than transferring to govt hospitals,” he says, including that he gave his eager about 3 years in an try to save his father, who ultimately passed on to the great beyond in 2013.
Unknown to Somashekar, this enjoy will be the basis that will form the remainder of his existence.
Throughout the sanatorium visits, Somashekar would incessantly realize that such a lot of sufferers had been with sicknesses that had been associated with dangerous diets. This he figured, used to be the results of present-day produce this is encumbered with chemical substances and insecticides.
Alternatively, this wasn’t the one explanation why for his switching to an agriculture startup. Coming from a farming circle of relatives, Somashekar had firsthand witnessed agrarian group issues and the looming disaster in Indian villages — farmer suicides.
A quest to do one thing significant
A June 2023 document in The Instances of India mentioned that the months spanning January to April this yr recorded 830 farmer suicides, whilst the similar duration remaining yr witnessed 945. Even though a stunning truth, Somashekar notes that now not a lot is being executed at the floor to forestall the vicious cycle.
Explaining it additional, he provides, “Many farmers develop dear plants like cotton, chillies, and so forth. To try this, they borrow cash from banks hoping for a just right harvest to pay off the mortgage. But when the harvest isn’t just right, they borrow extra, making a cycle. This may end up in overwhelming debt and lead some farmers to take drastic steps like suicide.”
He felt a definite affinity for the village and sought after to assist the farmers all the way through this disaster. So he determined to give up his company activity and paintings intently with the farming group in his village in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
Right here, he spotted how a large number of new farming startups and marketers had been advocating natural farming a number of the farming group right here. Whilst the goal used to be just right, this amused him. He explains, “Farmers first of all practised herbal and natural farming as their common way. Alternatively, some began the usage of insecticides and noticed higher effects, which influenced others to change. At the present time, once I paintings with farmers to advertise natural farming, my objective isn’t to show them one thing new however to reintroduce this previous apply into their lives.”
From farm to plate
Having began with 30 farmers in 2017, Adithi Millets has grown its farmer base to over 200 and has a turnover of Rs 2 crore. The project empowers farmers to develop millets, extend their advertising facility, industry with corporates, and so forth.
Somashekar works throughout seven villages in 3 districts of Kurnool. The farmers from Tadakana, Ulinda Konda, Bhudidha, Nagalpuram, and so forth are all a part of the affiliation.
‘Millets to Hundreds of thousands’: based in this philosophy, Adithi Millets is on a challenge to unfold the affection and data of those superfoods a number of the lots. On asking why he selected millets, he says that millets are very wholesome and an excellent addition to everybody’s nutrition. Additionally, “millets are simple to develop, which means that farmers don’t need to take massive loans”.
Elaborating at the procedure concerned, Somashekar says it starts in June first week earlier than the onset of the monsoons. “We engage with the farmers and feature conferences within the manufacturing facility premises the place we spotlight the advantages of cultivating millets,” he explains.
“As soon as a farmer is of the same opinion, we give them an organization letter with the MSP (Minimal Enhance Worth) obviously discussed. This letter assures them that we’ll supply seeds totally free each and every season. We talk over with them to make a choice the proper seeds for the season. Once they domesticate the seeds, we purchase them again. This gets rid of their fear about discovering a marketplace for their seeds,” he provides.
This can be a reduction for farmers as a result of lugging quintals of millet throughout state strains to promote isn’t a sensible choice. He continues, “As soon as the farmers carry the millets to the manufacturing facility, we give them the promised MSP.”
On the manufacturing facility, native ladies from the village take part within the cleansing and segregating procedure. After they deem the standard are compatible, the millets are processed into value-added merchandise — corresponding to millet dosa, millet khichdi, malt, and so forth. Those merchandise are bought thru Amazon and priced nominally at Rs 150 upwards.
Somashekar additionally stocks that their affiliation with farmers is going past giving them seeds and serving to them discover a marketplace for their produce. “We help households suffering from farmer suicides through offering stitching machines, cattle, and different sources that may assist them earn cash,” he says.
Ok Hemadri Reddy, a farmer from Kodumur village has been cultivating brown best millet since his affiliation with Adithi Millets in June 2022. Sharing his enjoy, he says, “Earlier than becoming a member of Adithi Millets, I’d sow the seeds of brown best millet in 4 acres and get 4,000 kg millets. Once I would promote it available in the market, I’d get an MSP of Rs 5,000 consistent with quintal and earn Rs 2 lakh for all of the harvest.”
On becoming a member of Adithi Millets the farmer followed Somashekar’s re-cropping way (leaving six inches of stubble within the floor after harvest and permitting it to develop within the monsoon with out sowing new seeds). This gave him but every other harvest of four,000 kg of brown best millets, which he then bought for Rs 7,000 consistent with quintal.
“I were given virtually double my earlier income with out sowing new seeds,” exclaims the farmer.
Somashekar, in the meantime, is happy he can assist his group. His ideals in just right agricultural practices and a love for farming have stood the check of time and helped him scale his empire to what it’s these days.
Edited through Pranita Bhat