Hanumakonda: As visitors enter Kummarigudem village, each house greets them with a cow, which is considered sacred by many faiths. As they proceed inside, they are greeted by the natural aroma of milk. Ghee comes next in the hallway, and it replenishes both the soul and the mind.
Farmers in this community practised simple farming until ten years ago, but they have now embraced the organic farming of Marupaka Koti, a local farmer, to boost their revenue and save for the future.
A small village in the Hanumakonda district of Telangana, Kummarigudem, has been turned into a model village in the state, inspiring others to take innovation in dairy farming to be free from debt.
With at least one cow per household, the village has now transformed into a thriving community full of wealth and prosperity.
From Struggling Farmers To Successful Entrepreneurs
In 2014, farmers of Kummarigudem would earn a meagre income as they would practice traditional farming. However, the trained agriculturist, Koti encouraged them to shift to organic cultivation, which gave them good returns.
After years of struggle, Koti sought help from Dr Sarjana Ramesh, Koorapati Venkatanarayana and a German philanthropist, Monika Rettering, and introduced sustained dairy farming in the village.
A Helping Hand
A devotee of Puttaparthi Saibaba and a German citizen, Rettering start supporting families of farmer suicide victims. Initially, she provided 30 families with one cow each, which helped them to start earning from selling milk.