'Why worry when Meta is there?' young farmer creates success story in farming

THRISSUR: Tom Kiran Davis cultivates crops from dawn to dusk on his five-acre family land and leased farmland. During his break time, he posts pictures of his products on social media. Within 20 minutes, orders start pouring in. This young farmer from Thumboor, Thrissur, has created a success story by selling his homegrown produce online. He effectively utilizes platforms like Meta to market his products.

"Why worry as long as Meta is there? My marketplace is the social media platforms set up by Zuckerberg and Elon Musk," says 41-year-old Tom with confidence.

He cultivates rice, tapioca, black pepper, nutmeg, Malabar tamarind, turmeric, coconut, areca nut, and rubber, among other crops.

Tom promotes his products through Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp. He also has a personal website. Customers from the UK, Gulf countries, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland, among others, place orders, especially for spices. The products are shipped via speed post, with customers bearing the shipping costs. Payments are made online. Tom is a member of over 200 WhatsApp groups, where many customers discover his products and visit him directly to make purchases. Items that cannot be sold online are taken to the market for direct sales.

Started farming after leaving job in the Gulf
Tom left his banking job in the Gulf due to work pressure and turned to farming. Many people had mocked his decision at the time. He learned social media marketing strategies by watching YouTube videos. Now, he sells through Meta Ads AI and Amazon. Spices are advertised in major capital cities across India, while rice is marketed in key cities of Kerala and South India.

Social media marketing expenses
Website maintenance: Rs 7,000 per year
Meta Ads: Rs 150 per day (Rs 4,500 per month)
Amazon: Rs 20,000 (one-time fee)