The small shop selling organic products on Sixth Main Road in Gomathipuram is a gross understatement of what it is. Its deceptive nature does not reveal that it is the epicentre of a movement to provide ‘poison-free’ food for the public and get remunerative prices for farmers with a win-win formula. The man sits on the floor while his wife prefers a stool. The couple - Kavitha Senthil Kumar and K.S. Senthil Kumar - operate a series of farm-to-dining table initiatives, without any financial support from outside, to realise a dream of making agriculture a meaningful and profitable venture for rural people.
Contract farming
Mr. Senthil Kumar recalls how their idea took shape in 2008. “Our objective of starting Aditya Voli Enterprises was to improve the livelihood of farmers with locally available resources. Besides training them in organic farming, we also decided to venture into contract farming. Initially, farmers were very reluctant to believe us as price realisation in contract farming was bad. Later, when we introduced them to organic farming, they were enthused by the handsome returns.” With his experience of working in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects in North India, Mr. Senthil Kumar, a native of Kathapatti, has been fine-tuning the initiatives with strategic planning, value-addition and updating technology. “Our strength is ethical farming,” he says.
From a few cents of land taken up for contract farming in 2008, the couple now work with small and marginal farmers in 15 States. “Ours is need-based farming. We plan the crop patterns well ahead, taking into consideration climatic and soil conditions,” says Ms. Kavitha, who is also a trainer. After realising that only remunerative prices for produce will sustain farming operations, they started to scout for buyers. In the beginning, people displaced from Sri Lanka bought their products. After about a decade, over 300 Aditya Voli products, in several brand names, are exported to Europe, Australia, South East Asia and the Gulf. The export happens through Tiruchi airport. In order to ensure transparency even in farming, foreign buyers are taken to villages around Madurai during Chithirai and Pongal festivals and made to observe the practices of producers.
The Gomathipuram retail outlet is a model from where the couple have woven a micro retail network all over the country to sell organic products. “We give preference for women. The organic store can be opened at a minimum investment of ₹ 10,000. We have about 150 retail outlets all over the country,” says Ms. Kavitha. Devi of Sonapuram near Kottampatti, a private schoolteacher, is a part-time retailer, who claims to have a decent profit margin for the products she sells.
No preservatives
“We make no compromise on the shelf life of our products. We never use preservatives. Hence leading online stores are reluctant to market our products,” says Ms. Kavitha. But Aditya Voli products are available online at www.organicgold.in . The couple are planning to have a marketing app soon. In the city, value addition has reached a new level with Perunchoru Parampariya Virundagam, a restaurant selling traditional food, like organic chappati and idiyappam. Organic cereals, especially native rice varieties, spices, value-added products and vegetables are delivered at the doorstep in Madurai.
The secret of the couple’s success is their formula to make available seasonal products throughout the year. Added to this is the pricing pattern. “Some of our products are highly priced since we pay premium prices to our farmers,” says Mr. Senthil Kumar.
A farmer from Palamedu, Rangasamy, says that he has been encouraged to grow more vegetables and fruits now. Umamaheswaran Pandi of Kottampatti has plunged into farming full-time. The couple have instituted several awards, like Chief Executive Farmer, in memory of Nammalvar. The awards are to be presented to outstanding organic farmers at a function to be organised in Madurai on the birth anniversary of Nammalvar.
