Abandoning the use of traditional farming methods, Mahendra learned about the organic farming method in Madhya Pradesh. He returned to his village and opened an FPO. He has helped over 1000 farmers adopt modern farming methods and has made over Rs 8 crore in the last four years.
Gorakhpur: Mahendra, a resident of Gorakhpur, turned his life around by adopting modern farming techniques. He had been using traditional farming methods for years but could not benefit from it. Today, after his success, he helps other farmers to bring a change in their lives just like he did. He shares that in the year 2018, he visited an organization in Madhya Pradesh to gain some information regarding farming, and the practices he learned there completely changed his life.
Turnover of Rs 8 crore
After his visit to Madhya Pradesh, he returned to Gorakhpur and did not wait to open his own company. He laid the foundation of a firm called Brahma Krishi Bio Energy Farmer Producer Company. It cost him Rs. 5 lakhs but it was all worth it for the profit he was going to make. In his Farmer Producers Organization (FPO), he invited a lot of farmers to join hands with him to grow organic crops.
All the methods employed at the FPO, help in producing all the products organically. Mahendra’s company currently works at the local level, but he believes that the growing demand for organic products would help his organization to export their products on a larger scale. One of the many advantages of working with an FPO is that the products are cost-effective and readily available.
Production of cash crops
Another huge advantage of working with an FPO is that farmers don’t have to struggle to sell their crops. The sale becomes easy, and the farmers gain instant prices for their produce; thus, saving time and money.
Mahendra’s FPO focuses on the production of lemons, bananas, black salt, vegetables and some honey products. The farmers have ditched the use of traditional farming techniques which allows them to focus on more production with minimal expenses.
Spreading awareness
Mahendra wishes for more farmers to adopt his farming techniques. He currently works with over a thousand farmers and targets to connect with almost six thousand farmers in a few years. He wants nothing but the best for his fellow farmers as he is aware of the struggles involved in traditional farming.
Empowering other people
Mahendra has a curious mind and always aims to gain any sort of knowledge he can from any event. In 2021, he attended the Jaggery Festival in Lucknow and learned about the concept of a model village there. He went back to his village and taught his fellow members about the same to bring in the transformation in his village.
Mahendra knows how to grow his business well, and for that, he has formed self-help groups of women. The members of these groups make pickles, incense sticks and other small items. Through this work, he is not only gaining more profit for his organization, but he is successfully providing employment opportunities to people from all social backgrounds. The district administration has supported Mahendra’s FPO by announcing the allotment of an outlet to produce millets in the city. In the last four years, Mahendra’s FPO has made over Rs 8 lakh crore.
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