From organic farming to sweets making for Deepavali

Pudukottai farmers use own produce as ingredients

Members of Pudukottai Organic Farmer Producers Organisation engaged in making sweets and snacks for Deepavali.

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.