Maa Umiyaa Farmer Producer Company Limited

Our group is based in Devri, specifically at Pushkar Patidar's place. He’s the son of Rameshchandraji Patidar. Around here, everyone knows everyone, so we don't need a big sign out front. Maa Umiyaa Farmer Producer Company Limited is the name we use for our collective. We are just farmers from the Devri area who decided it was time to work together instead of everyone just doing their own thing. It makes sense when you’re trying to buy supplies or sell what you’ve grown. We aren't some big city company. We are right here in the village. Most of our meetings happen sitting on a porch or in the yard at Pushkar's house. We talk about the weather, the pests, and the prices at the market. It’s very informal. We don't have a professional writer to do our descriptions, so this is just me talking. We have our fair share of problems, like when the rain doesn't come or when the tractor breaks down. We just deal with it. It’s a simple life, but it’s ours. We aren't looking to get rich quick. We just want to make sure our families are taken care of and the land stays healthy. It’s a lot of work, and we’re often tired by the end of the day, but we keep at it. It gets pretty hectic during the harvesting months. Everyone is running around trying to get their crops sorted and ready for transport. Since we are a producer company, we have to handle all the paperwork for the whole group, which is a lot for just a few of us. We often end up working by lantern light after the sun goes down just to keep up. We don't really have a regular office with set hours. If someone needs something, they just walk over to Pushkar's house and ask. It’s very direct. We've learned a lot about the business side of things over the last few years. It was a steep learning curve since most of us are better with a plow than a ledger. But we're getting there. We aren't trying to compete with the big guys in the city. We just want to make sure the farmers in Devri can keep their heads above water. It’s a community effort more than anything else. We don't have some fancy set of rules. We just help each other out and hope for a decent harvest. That's the way it's always been and the way it should be.