Kastakar Agritech Farmer Producer Company Limited

Kastakar Agritech Farmer Producer Company Limited is based out of G.No. 12 in Chitli. That’s in the Jalna district, not too far from the main town. We use the word "Kastakar" because that is what we are—farmers. We wanted to bring a bit of tech into what we do, but not in a way that’s too complicated to understand. It’s mostly about finding better ways to track our crops and maybe using some newer equipment that one person alone couldn't afford. The office at Chitli is pretty basic. It’s a place to store some stuff and gather to make decisions. In this part of the country, everything depends on the weather. If the monsoon is late, we all feel it. We formed this company because we wanted to have a bit more control over our own lives. Usually, the middleman takes a big chunk, and we are left with very little after all the hard work. By working as a group, we can talk to buyers directly sometimes. It’s a learning process for all of us. None of us were born business people; we are just learning the ropes as we go along. There is plenty of dirt under our fingernails and a lot of long days in the sun. We are just trying to use what we have to get a better result for the farmers around here. It’s a practical way to survive and keep our land productive year after year.