Kunkallamma Banana Farmers Producer Company Limited

We are based at No. Xxiii/18 right in the Thalassery Municipality area, near Moozhikkara. The name on the paper is Kunkallamma Banana Farmers Producer Company Limited, but we are really just a group of local farmers who decided to work together. Growing bananas in Thalassery is what we know. The office is just a plain building where we gather to sort out the logistics and handle the harvest. It’s often very hot and the air smells like ripe fruit and cardboard boxes. We don't have any fancy furniture or air conditioning in the main area. It’s a lot of hard work, carrying heavy bunches and making sure they don't get bruised before they go to market. We talk about the rain a lot, because too much or too little can ruin everything we’ve worked for. Sometimes the paperwork gets confusing and we have to sit down and figure it out together over some tea. We aren't corporate types; we are people with dirt under our fingernails who understand the land. If you come by the address, you’ll see trucks being loaded and people shouting to get things moved. It is a bit chaotic during the peak season, but we managed to get things done. We just want to make sure the farmers in our group get a fair deal for all the sweat they put into their fields around Kannur. It’s a long day, but we feel better working as a team than on our own.