Gorubathan Farmers Producer Company Limited

Up here in Mal Basty, the hills really shape how we live and work. Gorubathan Farmers Producer Company Limited started because a few of us in the Fagu area realized we were all facing the same problems with our crops. Being in the Darjeeling region means the weather can change in a second. We operate out of a small space in the village. It’s not a corporate office by any means, just a room where we keep our records and meet up after a day in the fields. Farming in these parts involves a lot of climbing and dealing with the slope of the land. It’s different from the flat plains you see elsewhere in West Bengal. We mostly deal with what grows best in this altitude. Everyone knows everyone else around here, so starting this company was just a natural extension of our daily chats. Sometimes we struggle with getting things down to the markets because the roads can be tricky during the rainy season. We aren't trying to be the biggest company out there. We just want to make sure our families can keep farming like they always have. It takes a lot of patience to work this land. We share tools and advice whenever someone needs it. It’s a quiet life in Gorubathan, but there is always something to do, whether it's clearing a patch of land or checking the local prices. We hope the harvest is good this year.