Shyam Mills

Shyam Mills is located out in the Sheikhpura area. It is the kind of place where something is always humming or grinding. You can hear the machinery working from quite a distance down the road. As you can imagine with a mill, it gets very dusty inside, and we all end up with a layer of fine powder on our clothes by noon. We handle different types of grains and whatever else the local growers bring to our door. Most of the people working here have been part of the team for many years. We are not trying to compete with the massive industrial plants; we just want to be a reliable place for the people in Sheikhpura. The building itself has been here for ages and it has that old, heavy smell of grain and grease. Our work changes with the seasons. When harvest time comes, it is a mad rush and we are here until very late at night getting everything processed. In the off-season, we spend our time fixing the belts and cleaning the machines. There is no air-conditioned office here. We just have a small wooden desk in the corner for the paperwork. It is tough, physical work that leaves your back aching, but it is a good way to make a living. We know the local farmers by name and they know they can trust us.