The Pudukottai Organic Farmer Producers Organisation (FPO) is utilising grains grown by their own members to make and sell a variety of sweets and snacks for Deepavali. A total of 22 items are being made this year, with orders pouring in from across the State and abroad.
The Pudukottai Organic FPO, going by the brand name Pudugai Organics, began making sweets and snacks since 2014. A total of 1,000 farmers came together as shareholders in the FPO and had their produce procured and sold.
As a way to further their business, around 25 members came together to make sweets and snacks. They purchased the grains from the farmers, including organic nattu sakkarai , and also extracted groundnut oil for the process.
This year, 22 items, including around seven varieties of laddoos , dry snacks, murukku and adhirasam , are being made. Grains such as foxtail millet, kavuni arisi and varagu are among the common ingredients. “If we sell varagu murukku , it will be the main ingredient. We will not mix maida , or wheat flour or any other ingredient,” says Akila Bharathi, CEO, Pudugai Organics.
Contrary to popular understanding, one does not need to alter recipes to make healthier versions of snacks and sweets, she adds. “For instance, if one is making murukku , instead of using ordinary rice flour, flour made from varagu arisi or kavuni arisi is used. The ratio of all other ingredients remain the same.”
This year, the FPO has received orders from as far as Singapore and the U.S. too. “We do not sell to any stores there. They are families that we directly ship to,” she saysid.
In India, many organic stores stock their products. They also make customised combo packs with a variety of snacks and sweets in each.
