A Computer programmer left USA and returned to India to become a farmer. Today, he is additionally working for the welfare of other farmers by assisting them grow and market organic produce.
The man made his mark in the US but was not able to resist the call of his motherland. Madhuchandan SC, a computer software engineer, started his private company, Verifya, in San Jose, a couple of years ago. This company’s software is now utilized all over the world. So, in terms of career success, Madhuchandan felt he had accomplished everything he wanted to.
Back to India
It was just about this time that he envisioned coming back home. Madhuchandan and his wife chose it was better to return while they were in their 30s, at an age where they both could work out towards making a change in India, rather than wait for retirement. So, they loaded their bags and proceeded to Mandya, Karnataka, in 2014.
He came home with the idea of becoming a peasant. However, once he got to his hometown in Mandya, he realised that the farmers here were facing a lot of problems. This is when he decided to work for their wellbeing.
According to Madhuchandan, farmers have a local understanding, which they employ in their farming practices. They know what is required to produce a good harvest. However they have been mistaken into using insecticides and fertilizers, thereby negotiating on soil quality and yield.
Setting up the organic store
Madhuchandan set up the Mandya Organic Farmers’ Cooperative Society in 2015, with the objective of getting organic farming to the vanguard again. Though there were some cultivators in Mandya who were doing organic farming, they were not getting a decent fair price for their produce. The purpose of the Society is to boost and support the farmers and help them grow, says Madhuchandan.
The membership fee to connect with the cooperative is Rs. 1,000. The Society, which started with 270 farmers, has now grown to include 350 farmers
These cultivators have a passion for organic farming and the Society instructs them on the finest organic practices they can take up.
The Logical indian
Marketing of the society
After setting up the Society, they understood that there was a need for a good marketing channel. The revenue generated by the Society wasn’t sufficient to take care of the marketing of the organic produce. This is how Organic Mandya was born.
Organic Mandya connects the gap between the farmers and the consumers. Madhu and four of his IT friends got together and pooled in Rs. 1 crore to set up Organic Mandya.
When questioned him about the greater prices organic products are sold at, Madhuchandan says, “I never understand how people are willing to spend hundreds of rupees on medicines, but when it comes to shelling out a little extra money for organic products they think twice. In fact, I would recommend that everyone try going completely organic for a year. And then see how much money you save on hospital bills and medicines.”
Other programs held by Mandya
Aside from educating farmers and marketing their produce, Organic Mandya also holds other programs — the most famous being the ‘Donate Your Sweat’ campaign.
Fundamentally, the programme is just about asking people from metropolitan Cities to donate their efforts for something productive. “Instead of going to the gym to burn calories, we encourage them to come work in the fields for a day. In this way they are working out as well as getting a better idea of the process of farming,” he says.
When questioned if he has any qualms about giving up his comfortable job in the US to return to Mandya, Madhu says, “Yes, I have regrets. Sometimes, I regret going to the US. I wish I had stayed back and worked with the farmers a couple of years earlier. The satisfaction I get now is something I will never get anywhere else.”
