When 47-year-old Bijesh P K left his accountant job in Dubai a few years back to return to his hometown in Kerala, many thought he was making a risky move. But today, he is a successful farmer exporting 850 kilograms of organic vegetables every week to Dubai, where his friends and well-wishers are subscribers of his fresh vegetable supply.
His freshly packed vegetable consignments fly out from Cochin International Airport in Ernakulam to Dubai three days a week.
Though Bijesh of Mala in Thrissur had no background in farming, he decided to take up farming because he always dreamed of returning home and pursuing a more sustainable way of life. Armed with a little savings from working as an accountant for over 10 years in Dubai and a passion for farming, he took six acres of land at his native place on lease and started organic cultivation of vegetables.
“Only when I started the farm did I realise that organic farming is not that easy. The input costs are always high and the yield is very less. People in Kerala are not ready to pay that extra money for buying organic vegetables. I struggled to find buyers for my produce. I knew that there was a demand for organic vegetables among Keralites in Dubai, and I reached out to a few friends in Dubai who agreed to buy vegetables from me,” Bijesh told “Open Digest.”
Initially, 15 of his friends placed orders for the vegetables, and in the following months, the number of customers expanded through word of mouth.
Following rising demand, Bijesh, with the support of his friend Praveen in Dubai, opened an exclusive organic vegetable store in Dubai for regular supply of vegetables to his customers. “All our vegetables are 100 per cent organic. We do not use any type of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. We could sell our organic vegetables at affordable prices to the Malayalee community in Dubai because the collective effort of my friends helped bypass middlemen, allowing me to maintain competitive pricing,” he said, adding that one kilogram of long bean costs around 15 Dirhams (Rs 350) and one kilogram of tomatoes costs 12 Dirhams.
Bijesh has set up a packaging unit at his home where the freshly harvested vegetables from the farm are brought and packed under strict hygiene protocols to deliver to the doorsteps of his customers in Dubai within 24 hours.
“We do not make any compromise in packaging and transportation to ensure that the vegetables reach fresh to our customers. The freight cost per kilogram itself comes to Rs 100,” he added. Bijesh now plans to expand his farming operations and introduce packaged organic products for a wider audience.
