Dhabani Utsaho Producer Company Limited

Way out in Puruliya, in the village of Chandanpur, is where we are. Dhabani Utsaho Producer Company Limited is based at Rupchand Mandi’s house. This part of West Bengal is different from the wet plains. It’s a bit drier here in Manbazar. We have to be careful with the water. Most of us grow what we can with the rain we get. It’s a tough life sometimes, but we are used to it. We started this company to give us a bit of a boost. Utsaho means encouragement, and that’s what we need when the crops are struggling. We sit together in the evenings in Purdaha and talk about the market prices. It’s hard to get things to the big towns from here. We try to pool our harvest so we can save on transport. We are mostly tribal farmers and small landowners. We know the land like the back of our hands. There aren't any big secrets to what we do. We just plant, weed, and hope for a good harvest. We don't have any fancy equipment, just the basics. People here are honest and work hard. We look after each other’s fields if someone gets sick. It’s a community thing more than a business. We just want to see our kids have a better time with the land than we did. That's why we stay organized here. It’s the only way to get by in this terrain and make something for ourselves.