In 2016, when Simi K V started her poultry farm with just 60 egg-laying hens, all the birds died within 45 days. Fast forward to 2026, and the same farm now houses 3,500 Gramasree chickens, 350 egg-laying hens, and 2,500 quails, all reared at around 45 days of age. If one were to ask about Simi’s journey as a poultry farmer, this transformation alone speaks volumes. Currently, she runs a poultry farm that generates a monthly profit of around ₹1 lakh.

When the Animal Husbandry Department announced her as the best poultry farmer, Simi was busy packing chicken and quail eggs under her brand, `Village Taste.'

Simi does not merely describe her work as poultry farming like others. “While others sell in the traditional way, I focus on branding and marketing,” she says. “That is why I am able to get a better price for my produce. If you want to succeed as a farmer, you must learn the importance of branding.”

A family rooted in farming
Simi, the daughter of Vijayan and Padmini, a farming couple from the hilly village of Chandanakkampara, was first introduced to agriculture by her father. After completing her ITI studies, she married Raghunath, an electrician from Bakkalam. Soon after, she began thinking about earning an independent income. As her children, Advait and Adish, grew older, she turned to farming to support their education. This led her to start a poultry farm in 2016.

In the early days, she was unaware of even the basic practices, such as vaccinating chicks. By the 45th day, her entire flock had died, possibly due to Newcastle disease. The setback, however, did not deter her. Her path took a turn after she attended a class by Dr Giggin at the Panniyur Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), where she learned the fundamentals of poultry farming. She also participated in training programmes conducted by the Animal Husbandry Department.

Realising the gaps in her earlier efforts, she chose to begin afresh. Through KVK, she received 1,000 chicks from a poultry farm in Mundayad, Kannur, with the condition that they be reared for 45 days and then returned. During this period, she actively attended every training opportunity she could find. Rearing and returning the chicks became her initial source of income.

After obtaining a licence for an egg nursery from the Animal Husbandry Department, she expanded her poultry operations and set up a farm on the 31 cents of land around her home.

Today, Simi supplies chicks for local self-government projects that promote backyard poultry farming. She delivers eggs under her brand `Village Taste' to supermarkets in Taliparamba and also sells them through kiosks set up by the Anthoor Krishi Bhavan for local produce. On average, she sells around 2,200 quail eggs a day, priced at ₹35 for 10 eggs. Quails begin laying eggs from the 40th day and continue for about 10 months, after which they are sold to meat shops at around ₹40 per bird. She also runs a meat chicken farm in Kurumathur in partnership with two others.

Branding as the key to success
The idea of marketing eggs under the brand `Village Taste' came from her children. Each egg box carries a QR code, allowing customers to scan and learn about quail eggs, their uses and their benefits. There was a time when she had to visit shops one by one, asking if they needed eggs. With branding in place, however, customers began seeking her out. Simi believes that focusing only on production is not enough, and that equal importance must be given to marketing. Drawing from her own experience, she has also developed a farm tourism project as part of her brand, `Village Taste'.

Pepper nursery
Adjacent to her farm, Simi also runs a pepper nursery. She has secured the rights to market the ‘Chandra’ variety of pepper developed by the Spices Research Centre in Kozhikode. The ‘Vijay’ variety, developed by the agricultural university and also marketed by her, is in high demand. Sapling orders are received through the Krishi Bhavan, often in bulk. In addition, she cultivates vegetables on leased plots and sells them through her own kiosk.

Value-added fertiliser
Simi is engaged in producing compost from chicken manure by combining it with coconut husk, which she sells at ₹200 per bag. She also cultivates mushrooms close to her home.