Over the phone, Mukesh Kumar asked a simple question, “Our story is a long one. Will you listen, sir?” He is the CEO of the New Nenadevi Farmer Producer Company (FPC). It makes a range of products from figs or anjeer, a fruit totally alien to the soil of Haryana.

Here’s his story. Five years ago, a private company appeared in his district, Fatehabad, in Haryana. It started promoting figs, a crop unfamiliar to the local farmers. If the farmers grew figs, the company would buy their crop at `300 per kg, it was promised.