Lathika Rice & Oil Mill

Being in Cherukode, specifically in the Alappuzha district, means we are surrounded by greenery and water. Our mill has been a fixture here for a long time. People bring their paddy after the harvest and we get to work. The smell of drying rice and fresh coconut oil is something you just get used to after a few days. We don't use any high-tech marketing here. It is just a simple building where the machines run most of the day. Sometimes the power goes out, which is common in this part of Kerala, and everything just stops for a bit. We wait and then start again once the lights come back. The oil we press is thick and smells real. Local families come by with their own containers to fill up. It is a bit dusty because of the rice husks flying around, so we spend a lot of time sweeping. My father used to run this place before me and not much has changed since then. We have a few workers from the village who help with the heavy bags. It is physically demanding work, lifting those sacks of grain all day. We don't have a website or a fancy sign outside. People just know where we are. The rain can make things difficult during the monsoon because we have to keep everything dry, but we manage. It's just a regular life here at the mill.