Avani Seeds Ltd.

We are located at No- 8 in Karuvarakundu, which is right near the Juma Masjid. It is a quiet enough spot on most days, though it definitely gets busier during the call to prayer when people gather. We deal mostly with seeds, which means our whole business follows the rain and the different seasons of the year. The farmers from all around this area come in to see what we have in stock before they start their planting. I spend a lot of my time talking to them about the soil conditions and what happened during the last harvest. The office is usually full of half-open sacks and that distinct smell of dried earth. It is not a sterile or polished environment at all. There is always a bit of dirt on the floor no matter how many times we sweep it out. We have been a part of the Karuvarakundu community for a very long time now. People know they can just walk in and ask us questions without any trouble. We do not have any big corporate slogans or missions. We just sell the seeds that we think will actually grow well in this local climate. Sometimes the season goes well, and sometimes the weather ruins everything for everyone. That is just the way life is in agriculture. My son helps with the heavy lifting now that I am getting a bit older. We keep a ledger for everything, mostly written by hand.