Shri Vinayak Rice Mill

Out here in Sohagpur Village, things move a bit slower, but Shri Vinayak Rice Mill stays pretty occupied. Being in the Hoshangabad area means we are surrounded by fields, which is good for business. The mill is a sturdy old building, and you can hear the rumble of the engines from the end of the dirt track. We get all kinds of farmers coming in, some with big trailers and others with just a few sacks on a cart. We try to treat everyone fair. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of toasted grain and earth. It’s a smell you get used to after a week of working here. We don't have any fancy receptionists or air-conditioned waiting rooms. You usually just find us near the hoppers or checking the weight of the bags. My hands are rough from handling the jute twine and the grain all these years. We close up when the work is done, which changes depending on how the harvest is going. Some nights we stay late under the yellow lights just to finish a batch for a neighbor. It's a lot of sweeping, too. Rice husk gets into every corner no matter how much you clean. We just aim to do a solid job so the farmers keep coming back every year. It’s a basic operation, run by local people who know the land and the crop.