Atpadi Taluka Agro Farmers Producer Company Limited

Atpadi is a tough place for farming because it gets so dry, but we make do with what we have. Atpadi Taluka Agro Farmers Producer Company Limited is based over at Sampatrao Tatyasaheb Deshmukh’s place in the B4 area. It’s a simple setup, nothing fancy at all. We spend our evenings sitting around talking about the soil and which crops might actually survive the heat this season. Being in Sangli district, we’re used to the struggle for water and the long wait for the monsoon. The company was started so we wouldn't have to face the big markets alone. It’s mostly just neighbors helping neighbors out. We share tips on irrigation and try to figure out how to get a decent price for our produce without getting cheated. Sampatrao’s house is where we keep all the records and hold our little meetings. There’s usually some tea going and a lot of loud talking about the latest market rates. We aren't experts in business, but we know the land better than anyone else. It’s a lot of physical work and the returns aren't always great, but having the producer company gives us a bit more strength in the taluka. We don’t bother with polished speeches or big promises. We just wake up, check the fields, and meet up at the end of the day to plan for tomorrow. It’s a slow process, but we’re sticking together.