Kalidhar Mango Farmer Producer Company Limited

The mango season in Akhnoor is the busiest time for everyone involved. We are based out of Mallah and Bahrore, using Krishan Lal Sharma’s place as a central point. Growing mangoes isn't as easy as people think. You have to watch for the winds and the pests that come when the fruit is sweetening. We’ve spent many seasons under these trees, watching the blossoms turn into fruit. It is a long wait every year, but we stay busy with pruning and clearing the ground. This company was put together so we could handle the harvest together rather than trying to do everything alone. It’s a group of neighbors mostly. We meet up in Pukahrni to talk about what needs doing next. The sun in Jammu really beats down on you during the picking months, but we get through it. We aren't some distant corporation. We are the people you see in the market and on the dusty roads. Our families have lived around here for generations and we know this soil pretty well. Sometimes the rain is too much and sometimes it's not enough, and we just deal with it. We don't use big words to describe what we do. We grow fruit and we try to do it right every year without complaining too much. It’s a simple way to live, rooted in the trees.