Kerala Agricultural Development Society (KADS) is a service provider to the farming community of Idukki, Ernakulam, and Kottayam Districts since its inception in the year 2001. KADS's vision is to facilitate farmers with modern farm practices and at the same to provide an assured marketplace for all his produces and even for the discarded but tasty and homely items from the backyards. Whatever it may be; be it muringa leaves, currypatha, vazhachundu, banastem, ilampanpuli, vampilinaranga, kanthari mulaku, etc., which never fetch a price nor had a place in the subjiwallas’ basket anywhere, now have a royal reception at KADS platform, bought as hotcakes within minutes of their arrival at the sales counter. This is the business technique of KADS – a business based on the tastes and preferences of the customer, and no doubt, now it is a success story!

Enamored by the patronage received, and with the experience and expertise gained in the past, KADS decided to establish a Farmer Producer Company. With such noble intentions and with the earned goodwill of the farming community as a motivating force, the KeralaAgri Development and Sustainable Producer Company Ltd. (KADS PCL) was incorporated in the year 2017.

KADS always had well drawn-up vision and mission. The mission is to ensure fair prices for their farm produces by eliminating middlemen, promoting organic production. Sustainable management of natural resources, organizing awareness campaigns on the conservation of water, soil, environment, and all such measures are part of the mission.

KADS with its experience stressed the importance of transferring the latest technology to the farmers at the appropriate time. This process always increased the confidence of farmers in adopting environment-friendly farm practices to achieve sustainable agriculture growth. To attain these objectives, training programs in modern farm practices, post-harvest techniques, value addition, and marketing were held as a usual routine. All these efforts are greatly appreciated by the farmers near and around Thodupuzha.

To achieve the vision and mission of the organization, KADS procures all types of farm products such as fruits, vegetables, honey, and other homemade products directly from farmers, without middlemen, offering them competitive prices.

KADS also carries out a novel scheme called 'Pachakudukka' to attract school students to farming, conduct annual green fest, distribute quality seeds and seedlings at the beginning of Kerala crop season called 'Medam', to name a few. Another important activity KADS undertakes is to provide farmers with the right methods, techniques for farming. All these deep involvements at the grassroots level have made KADS a catalyst in the agricultural sector.

KADS facilitates marketing through 'farmers’ open market', encouraging organic farming through Organic Certification, in collaboration with Lacon, in Mankulam Panchayat of Idukki District since 2005 and continues. This involvement has been greatly acknowledged by the State Government and UNDP authorities.

Inspired by its success on the matters associated with farmers’ welfare assistance in the most recent 19 years, KADS PCL is now focused more on serious and productive expansion activities by actively involving farmers of Idukki's nearby districts. KADS PCL is now active in building 200 different clusters of farmers from 20 nearby Grama Panchayats and Thodupuzha Municipality. This will boost agriculture production and farmers can have their own self-sustained way to market their products, under KADS’s banner. While KADS has 2560 members, KADS PCL has 176 shareholders and 1000 farmer members with organic certification, including more than 500 ‘Adivasi’ farmers.

Our most successful business models are KADS’s Farmers’ Open Market and KADS PCL’s Swadeshi Supermarket. Both business models help farmers’ to sell their agriculture products in the open market without an intermediary. This process has opened up a window for all farmers to boost their self-confidence and channelize and market their products without extra effort. KADS takes complete responsibility to sell their product under its banner or buy their products, process it, and sell it with its own supply chain system. 'Swadeshi Supermarket', the major project of KADS, is a grand success in Thodupuzha and Ernakulum, to facilitate marketing of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables and other value-added products.

Another business model that KADS holds in esteem is the “Village Square” project. KADS PCL has taken possession of 2.3 acres of prime land, located at the heart of the city, Thoupuzha, named as The Village Square i.e., ‘The Rural Maat’, to develop its own state-of-the-art agriculture business center. Its focus is on drawing up plans for developing a world-class, business center of attraction for farmers, traders, tourists, and the like. The proposed Village Square also aims to provide enthusiastic young entrepreneurs, including innovative student incubators, modern startup facilities in processing, and value addition to capture the expanding export and internal markets for quality food products, branded with quality assurance. The following attractions have been implemented under the roof of KADS Village Square, which is designed to be a world-class business center to hang out with:

KADS PCL is now associated with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Kerala Agricultural University, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala Fisheries University, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other national institutions of eminence in the Food Processing Sector like, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED), National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) - Haryana, Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIIFT) - Thanchavoor, National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) - Tiruchirapalli, Coconut Development Board (CDB), Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) and Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) to guide and direct us in molding and developing the Village Square project and to serve the large segment of farmers associated with us.

Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, was very generous to extend handholding support to KADS PCL. The support and guidance from different departments have been assured especially that of the Directorate of Business Innovation and Incubation Centre. This would certainly help in channelizing specialized assistance in food processing, entrepreneurship, and management of renowned universities in India.