Amit Verma, a resident of Rampur, pursued an MBA degree in marketing after his engineering studies. He worked in a reputed firm for 12-14 years before making a transition to organic farming. Once he stumbled upon chemical-free vegetables which he found delicious, and that prompted him to venture into organic farming. Back in those days, there was little information available about cultivating millets. He sought guidance from Padma Shri awardee Bharat Bhushan Tyagi and embarked on his farming journey with the support of his friends.

Fight against malnutrition

Amit Verma’s vision lay beyond just making profits from his organic farming endeavours. Presently, he and his team distribute nutritious millet kits to children suffering from malnutrition. This kit is called ‘Samvardhan,’ and so far, around one lakh children have benefited from the initiative. Amit also wishes to support local farmers by providing more opportunities to grow. His efforts have been recognized with the Prime Minister’s Award 2022 and an award by the Uttar Pradesh government. He has also been listed in NITI Aayog’s 100 distinguished persons.  

What inspired him

Amit Verma shares an incident that prompted him to help malnourished children. In Rampur, the condition of a malnourished child suddenly deteriorated. When the doctors arrived in the village and examined the child, they found he had stomach issues. Amit and his team provided a healthy juice made from amla (gooseberry) and honey to the kid for a few days. Soon, the child’s health began to improve. This successful endeavour inspired Amit to extend his help to other malnourished children.

Affordable and nutritious kit

Amit Verma’s millet kits are provided across 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh, namely, Moradabad, Hapur, Firozabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Farrukhabad, Pilibhit, Bhadohi, Kanpur, Bulandshahr, and Amroha. Furthermore, he mentions that the kit only costs Rs 40 to 50 per day.

With the improvements in the health of younger kids, the demands for the millet kits have surged. They have earned significant recognition and a state-wise mandate for their work. 

Farmers' support

Currently, Amit’s organization produces over 40 different products. A processing unit has also been established to support farmers’ income and promote agricultural diversification. There are 1550 farmers associated with his Farmer Produce Organization (FPO). According to him, income of 17 percent farmers has already seen an increase. Over the last three years, around Rs 7 lakh has been distributed to farmers as dividends. Remarkably, the FPO also provides employment opportunities to women.