At the same time as he labored within the company discipline for 28 years, Ok V Rama Subba Reddy couldn’t let go of his dream of returning to his village to take up farming. The Andhra Pradesh native made this dream a actuality in 2017, when he give up his job to turn out to be a ‘trendy farmer’.
“Once I was a toddler, I’d eat millets like foxtail millet, jowar, and Kodo millet. Once I got here again from my company life to do farming, I realised individuals have forgotten these grains. So I made a decision to deliver again these millets into mainstream consumption,” he recollects.
He bought 20 acres of land to develop millets, however issues got here to an abrupt halt when the pandemic arrived, forcing Rama to shut his manufacturing plant.
Nevertheless, the losses didn’t shake his dedication. Together with his spouse and mom, he utilised this time to create new millet recipes like millet ladoo, murukku, biscuits and namkeen mixtures — all gluten and sugar-free.
“There are a number of causes I selected millets. One was nostalgia — my mom would put together a number of dishes with numerous millet varieties. Second, millets are extremely proof against pest assaults and subsequently don’t require chemical fertilisers or pesticides to get a great harvest. Furthermore, I used to be enormously impressed by the works of Dr Khader Vali – the millet man of India,” explains the 54-year-old.
Promoting his wholesome snacks beneath the model Mibbles, Rama has earned over Rs 1.7 crore and goals to double it quickly.
He recommends accommodating millet in meals day-after-day. “One can dwell a complete day on millet. You’ve gotten cereals for breakfast, biscuits for tea, and chapatis for dinner.”
Lovingly known as ‘millet man’ throughout the state, Rama has not solely made good income, however has additionally received the ‘Finest Startup Join Farmer’ Award by ICAR-IIMR.
Watch Rama’s story right here:
Edited by Divya Sethu