Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dec 4 (PTI) A farmer in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has found out a way to raise his income – by adding a touch of doorstep service instead of solely depending on the traditional agricultural practices.
This farmer-turned-entrepreneur, Shivaji Kurhe, who hails from Washim district in the Vidarbha region, has added a unique service, in which he grinds the turmeric cultivated in his farm before people as per their order, providing a win-win situation to both.
Talking to PTI, Kurhe said, “I grow turmeric in my farm and take the ready crop to the doorstep of people. As per the order, I grind the turmeric before the customers with the help of a grinding machine fitted on my vehicle. On an average, I sell around 50 kilos of turmeric powder each day.” If farmers sell their cultivated crops to traders in the market, then they get low returns. But if they reach out to people and sell their produce, their earnings will rise significantly, and there will be no need for a farm loan waiver, he said.
“If I sell this turmeric to a trader in the market, they will offer me Rs 130 per kilogram in return. But as I go door-to-door to grind the turmeric then and there as per the order, it gives me Rs 300 per kilo in return, which is almost double,” Kurhe added.
“Earlier I used to sell 20 kilograms of turmeric per day and would carry the grinder set-up on a two-wheeler. But now I got a vehicle from Punjab at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh, which provides storage space so I am able to sell at least 50 kilos of turmeric powder every day,” he said.
Farmers can increase their income if they take their products to consumers directly in a similar way, he opined.
But the government needs to provide uninterrupted power supply to farmers so that the crops can be watered any time, Kurhe demanded.
The added service provided by Kurhe is making customers happy, as they feel that they do not need to worry about the authenticity.
Sandhya Waghmare, who purchases turmeric powder from Kurhe, told PTI, “The turmeric I purchased is organic and he grinds it in front of us. This turmeric powder is genuine with natural colour, while the one sold in the market could be adulterated. This powder is cleaner and softer as compared to the one sold in the market.” PTI AW NP
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