In Kerala's Elevancherry village, 300 families turned vegetable farming into a Rs 16 CRORE empire. No govt handouts, no luck — just pure grit, smart farming, and a revolutionary model India needs to see!
Since 1996, farmers have pooled the knowledge, resources, and risks under VFPCK (Vegetable & Fruit Promotion Council). Their secret? Collective farming — shared costs, shared profits, and zero middlemen. Result? 5,000 TONNES of veggies yearly!
Meet R Sivadas — the first Rs 1 CRORE farmer! At 52, he proved farming isn’t a "struggle" but a scalable business. His weapon? High-quality seeds, soil testing, & drip irrigation. Young farmers (20-50 yrs) dominate — no urban migration here!
No land? No problem! Farmers lease extra land, grow 30+ veggies — ash gourd, snake gourd, bitter gourd — Kerala’s largest traditional veggie hub. Buyers flock from across the state. Even neighbouring panchayats joined the revolution!
Their golden rule? "Modern tech + traditional wisdom" Permanent farm pavilions (no cheap sheds!), systematic water distribution, organic pest control. Zero waste, max profit. Even unsold produce? Losses are shared equally — true teamwork!
Wild animals? Climate risks? They battle it all. Yet, zero govt aid for storage, roads, or irrigation. Their ask? Simple: "Visit us, see our work, HELP us scale!" From wild boars to water shortages, they work on solving problems together.
Elavancherry’s farmers believe in three golden rules: working as collectives rather than competing so risks are shared and rewards are bigger, bringing youth into farming with an average farmer age of just 35, and prioritising quality through soil tests and premium seeds that fetch higher prices.
Imagine this in Punjab, UP, or Maharashtra! India has a 52% farm-dependent workforce, but declining incomes. Elevancherry’s model can revive villages — if govts act. Demand: Supply chains, storage, fair leases, climate-proofing!
We don’t want subsidies — we want markets", say Elevancherry's farmers who built a self-sustaining ecosystem. No middlemen, no debt traps. Just smart, united farming. Time for policies to copy-paste their success nationwide!