Shri Prashant Panubhai Shah

This is the Gayatri Rice General Mill, and I am Prashant Panubhai Shah. Our mill is located right at the Highway Char Rasta in Bareja, which is part of the Daskoi Taluka. Being right on the highway means we get a lot of traffic and dust, but it also makes it very easy for the farmers to bring their rice to us. The mill is a loud place when all the machines are running, and there is always a fine layer of rice dust on everything, including our clothes. We spend our days checking the moisture in the grain and making sure the hulling machines are doing their job correctly. It is a seasonal business, so some months we are working day and night to keep up with the harvest, while other times it is a bit quieter and we can catch up on repairs. We don't have a big corporate office; it’s mostly just a desk in the corner of the shed where we keep the records. We’ve been here for many years, and most of the local farmers are like friends to us now. We share news about the rain and the crops while they wait for their loads. It is a simple, practical way to live, and it is tied directly to the land. We don't use any fancy marketing tricks. People know us by the sound of the mill and the location at the crossroads. We just try to get the rice cleaned.