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PB Murali and Hari Sethuraman
An ancient technique has been revived in the name of sustainable development. PB Murali, who is at the forefront of the organic movement in Tamil Nadu, has developed biopesticides and fungicides. “Food must not be poisoned in the name of technology. There should be better yield, but it should be healthy,” opines Murali, whose partner-in-bio-development is Hari Sethuraman, a civil engineering graduate from IIT-Madras.
The duo were one of early farmers to incorporate modern techniques like drip irrigation, fertigation, pruning and bio-dynamic agricultural practices to control the growth of fungus.“This application controls the purity levels and is non-toxic” says Murali, who has over 20 years of experience in agriculture.
At Punnammai Organic Orchards, a 60-acre farm in Thatchur district of Tamil Nadu, Murali cultivates Banganapalli, Imam Pasand, Alphonso and Rumani mangoes. The products are available across south India and in a few states in the North. The mangoes are supplied to organic stores, hotels and corporates. “The cost varies from season to season and we register a turnover of `40 lakh every year,” says this statistics graduate, who shifted to agriculture after spending 18 years in the corporate world. “Organic farming is a very small community, and people get to know each other through referrals. There is no need for brand building,” reveals Murali, who is a part of the Chennai wing of the Organic Farming Association of India.
— kaviya@newidianexpress.com
The Shandy, is the first Organic Store in Chennai, founded by Organic Farmers, Hari Sethuraman and P.B.Murali. The need for authentic organic produce to reach the market directly from the farmers, and their experience of working closely with farmers, motivated them to start Sunday Shandy in 1998. This was initially a weekly market for fresh organic produce brought directly by the farmers.
Today, The Shandy is a bustling marketplace that sells a range of organic produce sourced from farmers and artisans, from all over India, making them available for customers and retail outlets on a daily basis. The products include fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, spices, fresh milk, fresh paneer, freshly ground flours, dry fruits, and much more. Over the years, the store has earned a formidable reputation as a preferred supplier of farm-fresh organic produce to even the most reputed retailers, owing to the quality and high level of safety, of their produce. The Shandy continues to be a wholesale supplier of Organic produce to many institutions and stores across the country.
The Shandy’s flagship product, is their award winning Organic Mangoes (PGS certified) cultivated at their Orchard, at Punnamai Village, Cheyyur Taluk, Tamil Nadu. The farm, started 28 years ago by the duo, has over 6000 mango trees. It also has fruit trees & other cash crops including sapota, coconut, banana, paddy, chillies, sesame, groundnuts, lime and some vegetables. The entire farm is pesticide and chemical free, which has a telling effect on the produce. Today, it is a model farm for many organic farmers across India. It has been developed like a forest and the verdant surroundings play host to various species of birds and small animals.
At The Shandy, there are rigorous standards in place to ensure that all the products are natural and of high quality. All the farms that we source from are inspected on a regular basis by our team. The farmers who send their produce to The Shandy are people who have been working with us on this mission for over 2 decades now.
Copyright © 2019 The Shandy
