Sometime in 1988, Jayant Barve was marketing chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers to farmers in Vita, about 40 km from Sangli district in Maharashtra. He would also give them suggestions on sprays for various diseases. One day, a farmer walked up to him, seeking a spray to ward off crows damaging his grape crop that would be ready for harvest the following week. Barve thought any chemical spray at that stage would remain on the grapes and reach the consumers.