COVID-19 Sets Way for a Farmer to be an Entrepreneur


COVID-19 Sets Way for a Farmer to be an Entrepreneur

This story is an epitome of the saying ‘Where there is a will, there’s a way’. The scary Corona is leading to several disasters in the country, from deaths & unemployment to hunger & everything painful for humans. The situation is nothing to farmers who are the all-time sufferers for anything that happens around. As we know, many of them are complaining about the sale loss, and delay in the procurement of the crops. However, this farmer from Kadamattom at Kolencherry in Ernakulam district has stepped beyond complaining and resolved the issue. The 57-year-old Thamby NP who had farming (paddy cultivation) as the only source of income, broke the loophole and began processing and selling the paddy on his own.

The lack of transportation facility due to the lockdown is putting a barrier to the supply of the cultivated products, ruining the leftover harvest. “It was during this time that some of my neighbours approached me inquiring whether I was interested in selling rice,” he said. “I said why not?” he added. Thamby began processing five ‘chembu’, traditional vessels, and full of paddy.

“It all got sold in a short time. More and more people are starting & looking for rice. And even though Supplyco began procuring paddy, I am thinking why not sell rice directly to the consumers,” he said.

He further added, unlike the 27 per kg that I get from the Supplyco, I can easily make a good profit if I sell rice at 65 per kg, which people are ready to pay. So, lockdowns like this will not affect me.

This is not unfair at all, the involvement of middlemen would anyway lead to extra charges, ultimately, hiking the price to more than whatever the farmer earns. This little extra paid directly to the food provider by eliminating middlemen intervention is an equitable idea.