HYDERABAD: A desire to farm mangoes brought Arifa Rafee and her husband Mohammed to quit their Dubai-based jobs and come back to Hyderabad. They procured 41 acres of land from Yadagirigutta and Chevella and began growing different varieties of mangoes in right earnest.
Started in 2008, the couple along with their daughters Rumaisa and Rifaa take part in all the activities of their farm and outlet. After doing a lot of research, the couple decided upon the concept of organic farming. Some of the mango varieties grown in their farm are Himayat, Banginapally, Kesar, Dasheri, Mallika, Chinna Rasalu and Alphonso, etc. They use only cow dung as fertiliser.
“We have had our challenges in distribution, and in 2011, our company AR4 had to re-think its strategy. We revolutionised the concept of reaching the customer directly through an e-commerce platform with the motto ‘From our farm to your home’ with a determination to bring the best-quality mangoes to consumers through our website www.ar4mangoes.com”, said Arifa. Online orders can be placed from May, and free home delivery is available for orders placed within Hyderabad.
In 2012, she won TV5 Business Leader Award for agri and food processing, followed by Wonder Woman, Stree Ratna and Women Achievement awards.
Speaking on the way we have transformed in society, she says, “We have gone a full circle in life, from healthy to filthy (chemically grown food) and then slowly coming back to healthy (organic)”, and signs off.