NE AGRICULTURE BUREAU
COIMBATORE, DEC 1
Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company, operating under the guidance of Isha, has set a new record with an annual turnover of Rs 17.7 crores in the financial year 2021-2022. The Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) reported an increase in turnover of Rs 3.7 crore from the last financial year.
The numbers were announced on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) conducted at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore. The members of the Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company are currently cultivating a total of 5,859 acres, earning income from various sources like coconut, coconut shell, vegetables, coconut oil, fertilizer shop, etc. The farmer members jointly sold 5,621 tons of coconut, 7,066 tons of coconut shell, 252 tons of vegetables, and 2.7 tons of coconut oil through the company.
Speaking about the future plans in the AGM, Kumar, the Chairman of the company and a farmer from Thondamuthur, said, “With the support of Isha and the contribution of the farmer members, we are planning to reach the target of Rs 50 crore annual revenue as soon as possible. We are trying to sell vegetables directly from our farmers and sell coconut and vegetables at a premium.”
Soil fertility is a crucial factor direct impacting crop yield and quality. To demonstrate the same, the Chairman suggested creating model farms in villages following the recommendations of the ‘Save Soil Movement’ started by Sadhguru. “Our company is planning to build a ‘Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory’ to make soil testing easier,” he added to help farmers increase soil fertility.
Directors of the Company Velumani, Nagaratnam, Kittusamy, and Isha volunteers, Venkat Raza, and Arunagiri delivered a speech at the AGM.
Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company started in 2013 in the Thondamuthur area of Coimbatore as per Sadhguru’s suggestion. The FPO has 1,063 farmer members, of which 404 are women. The company has received various awards from the central and state governments for its outstanding performance. The National Academy of Agricultural Research (ICAR – NAARM) at Hyderabad honored Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company with the ‘Best Upcoming Farmers Producer Company’ award last September. Similarly, the company received Tamil Nadu Government’s ‘Best FPO’ award in 2021.