Not everyone can dig their fingers into the problems of the Philippine agricultural sector—but Prashant Dargani took this challenge head-on with company, Enviro Scope Synergy Inc (ESSI). A proud “agripreneur”, Prashant Dargani is passionate about helping Filipino farmer and farm owners have “a brighter and healthier future” with their organic agricultural products.

Sometimes it’s not the seed—it’s the soil

Prashant and his co-founders, Jiten Lalwani and Raj, found that Filipino farmers were having problems with crop productivity, which was declining despite the amount of chemical agricultural inputs that they used. To address this problem, Prashant dug himself deep into it. “To understand how we could contribute effectively, I took an additional degree in UANP Agribusiness and worked with researchers in understanding the problem in-depth. We found that the root of the problem is Soil Health. The chemical inputs we have been used to degrades the natural health of the soil the more we use them, which ultimately meant lower productivity despite higher inputs used,” he shared.

Usually, this problem could be resolved by letting the soil heal itself naturally, which meant that farmers have to stop using their land. This means that farmers would have to give up their source of income. ESSI stepped in to help them with this problem.

“So, we worked with some of the best scientists and specialists we could find to develop our own line of organic-based agricultural inputs that are formulated specifically to rejuvenate the soil while the farmers use them throughout their planting season — allowing them to increase their productivity, reap better quality crops, and restore their land to its healthiest state,” Prashant shared.

ESSI’s first line of products consisted of pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers, products that address the most basic needs of the crops. To this day, they are continuously doing research and development to address the different crop pests and diseases, while rejuvenating the soil.

Enriching the earth through education

More than just making sales, ESSI is committed to educating farmers about soil health. ESSI continuously makes efforts towards reaching more farmers and working with them to create solutions for their problems. Together they share a grand vision: “To rehabilitate and rejuvenate Filipino farming lands, restoring them to their healthiest state to bring both the farmers and the Filipino a brighter and healthier future.”

They have partnered with different government agencies, universities, and companies, who have helped them turn this vision into a reality. With the help of their partners, they were able to do free product tests with farmers and they had “kapihan” sessions, where they educated them about soil health.

Prashant also wants to help define the policies that “would help each province and municipality grow their crop productivity and ensure no farmer gets left behind.”

Breaking soil and breaking through

Prashant Dargani didn’t start out as an “agripreneur”. During his last year of college, his father suffered a stroke, which pushed him to be the breadwinner of his family. Prashant started and buying and selling imports from China, which enabled him to earn money fast. He states that he learned five important lessons during that time:

“(1) Build healthy relationships. Whether it’s your company employee, business partner, family, friends, or acquaintances, having the right people beside you will help you have the right mindset to achieving your success. (2) Find a mentor. Learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before you to avoid making the same mistakes, and to optimize your growth trajectory. (3) Work hard. Make sure your team sees that you are willing to put in the work for the future of the company. A leader who is all talk and no action is an ineffective leader. (4) Curiosity. Never assume. Always try to look at a problem from different perspectives and work to find the best possible solution. (5) Love what you do. Not all of us are lucky enough to be doing what we love because sometimes we have limited options. So, find the good things in what you do, focus on that, and build on loving it.”

Starting ESSI was challenging for him because he grew up in the city; he suddenly had to travel to visit different farms in the Philippines. His work schedule changes according to which LGU, farm, or private company they’re working with. On days that he has to visit farms, he wakes up at 5 or 6 am. Then, he prepares himself for the day by drinking a cup of coffee and meditating.

Cultivating Hope

ESSI continues to pursue its vision amidst the pandemic. In adjusting to the current situation, Prashant says that they pursued two things: “Digitization, and a spirit that never quits.”

They launched online activities that educated farmers to help them protect and preserve the health of their land through ESSI products. One of these activities is a game show, where the winner gets a cash prize and education scholarship by answering specific farming questions. They also invested in staff training to ensure that they can help farmers more. Specifically, they trained in product knowledge, farming expertise, communications and management skills.

When asked what his biggest realization was in 2020, he answered that it was that life had twists and turns that will never stop. “It sounds like a cliche right? It’s something we hear so often but it never sunk in until the pandemic. We never know what will happen tomorrow or the day after that, so we should put in effort to appreciate those that we have NOW.”

In line with that, Prashant makes sure to seize every opportunity that comes his way and to spend time with his friends and family, while planning for the future ahead of him.

He reminds us to not get caught up in the so-called “competition” in life. “Compete. But don’t forget to form healthy and deep relationships with each other. Compete. But don’t forget to help when one of you is in need. Compete. But don’t forget it’s not about winning; it’s about solving problems for your consumers who put their trust in you.”

Dig deep and learn more about ESSI through their official website.

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