Sri Lakshmi Vekateshwara Modern Rice Industry

Our place, Sri Lakshmi Vekateshwara Modern Rice Industry, is located at Survey Number 332 in Kodurpadu, right near Kothakaluva Center. It’s a bit of a trek to get out here if you aren’t from the area, but it’s where all the action is for the local farmers. The "modern" part of the name comes from some of the upgrades we did a few years back, but it still feels like a traditional mill. There’s a lot of open space around the building which is good for drying things out when we need to. The Kothakaluva Center is the main landmark people use to find us. It’s a dusty spot, especially when the trucks are pulling in and out of the yard. We spend a lot of time maintaining the hullers and the polishers. If one thing breaks, the whole line stops, so we’re always tinkering with something. It’s a lot of manual labor, shifting bags from one corner to the other. We don’t have any fancy brochures or big marketing plans. People just show up because they know we are here and we’ve been here for years. The sun hits the metal roof and makes it hot inside by noon, but we just keep the fans going and keep working. It’s a quiet life out in Kodurpadu until the harvest starts, then it’s non-stop. We keep some cold water in a clay pot near the back for everyone.