“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” — Lady Bird Johnson.
Composting is gaining attention across the globe. But, before we decipher how composting benefits the environment let us know what Composting is. So the definition is, “Composting is a simple process of recycling organic substances such as food leftovers and leaves into organic matter called compost which acts as a natural fertilizer to enrich the soil.”
Sounds simple right? This process can be done in the comfort of your home. Know more about how you can compost at home here.
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From crisis to composting, Rupsanatan Purkait’s life
Rupsanatan Purkait is a successful organic farmer at Paschim Jata. He is from Raidighi. As usual in Indian scenario, agriculture is the main source of his income. He used to cultivate vegetables using fertilizers, but eventually, his production started to decrease. He faced a severe financial crisis. So, he joined the Mukti Agriculture Department — SAM (Sustainable Agricultural Movement) and received Skill Development training on organic farming.
He started his vermicomposting unit after training with Mukti SAM. The results were heartening. He was able to make 1000 kgs of organic fertilizer.
Now, with this technological firm, he is producing his own organic fertilizer, vermicompostin, etc. He is experiencing increased demand from fellow farmers. Therefore, he is encouraging other farmers in his region to make their own compost.
Prateek Bajaj’s vermicomposting success
At the young age of 21, Prateek Bajaj came up with the idea of vermicomposting as a profession. His inspiration was from attending a training session in dairying at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, IVRI Izatnagar, in 2015. His love for nature and soil drove an entrepreneurial spirit. He became successful in producing vermicompost. He not only produced enough vermicomposting for his agricultural needs but also sold it to other cities like Uttarakhand.
In his journey, he also inspired other women like Mrs. Pramila from Khargaina to take up vermicompost as a commercial venture.
A 72 year man makes 100kgs of compost at home
Rajinder Singh is from Ludhiana and is an inspiration to everyone around. He started terrace gardening after he retired. Initially, most of his garden got spoiled and his children decided to call an expert to fix it. After learning about the cost Rajinder decided to read about different plants. Now he has more than 500 plants including seasonal fruits and vegetables. No wet or organic waste is taken out without using it completely to make manure. He generates 100kgs of compost at home.
Economic Impact on India
According to the National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF), the total agricultural land where vermicompost is practiced is around 3.5 million hectares, covering 19 states.9
The practice of producing vermicompost is said to be an economical enterprise compared to chemical fertilizers. Generally, there is direct marketing of vermicompost from producer to consumer which is the strongest channel for marketing the product, but marketing is also done through cooperatives and traders. Vermicomposting used as an alternative to chemicals can significantly reduce input costs.
Estimates show that applying only 6 tonnes per hectare of vermicompost instead of the recommended dose of N, P, K for cereal crop production, can reduce the cost of fertilizer by up to INR 4,000 (USD 55) per hectare and the cost of pesticides by 40 percent in the subsequent three to four years. Further, vermicompost can be sold for INR 10-50 (USD 0.15-0.70) per kg on the e-commerce market. Farmers can also fetch INR 5-30 (USD 0.15-0.45) per kg in the wholesale market in India. These are estimated prices for vermicompost, not earthworms, which sell at INR 300-500 (USD 4-7) per kg.
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Tap to read more Vermicomposting: 5 evolving advantages and its importance.
