Decent income possible through vermicompost: S Dhanabir
Source: Chronicle News Service / Sagolsem Bigyan

Imphal, December 28 2022: With the objective of using organic fertilisers instead of chemical products so as to help ensure good health of the present and future generations, in addition to saving the environment, Soraisam Dhanabir, who hails from Patsoi Part-4 Merakhong Mapal not only has a thriving business in vermin-compost but also generating job opportunities for others.

In a tete-a-tete with The People's Chronicle, Dhanabir said that he has always used organic fertiliser in planting vegetables.

After consulting with some experts in 2017, he learned about the usage of earthworms' excrement as fertiliser and as such, decided to rear earthworms to make vermicompost.

Prolonged usage of chemical fertilisers has not only affected the environment but also the nutritional level of the soil.

Consumption of the products grown with application of chemical fertilisers has also resulted in suffering from Various ailments among the people.

As such, it is important to increase and promote the usage of organic fertiliser, Dhanabir said.

Dhanabir recounted that in 2021, he purchased around 1.5 lakh Eisenia Fetida, a type of earthworm imported from France as this earthworm species was most suitable for vermicomposting when compared to the earthworm species found locally.

Eisenia Fetida thrives in organic waste by efficiently breaking the decaying waste down and turning them into high-quality organic compost.

For this, a cemented pit of 30 feet in length, 5 feet in breadth and 2 feet depth was constructed.

The pit was filled with manure and straw and left to decay for some time before putting in the earthworms.

After 45 days, the earthworms turn the decayed waste into vermicompost.

The most important part is allow -ing the manure and straw mixture to decay for some time but cannot be left to rot as the earthworms cannot live in such a situation, he explained.

Dhanabir continued that many have expressed their preference for organic fertiliser but farmers are unable to buy the same as they are expensive.

Thus, he has fixed his vermicompost at the rate of Rs 25 per kg.

If anyone purchases 50 kg, the price is fixed at Rs 20 per kg.

He then revealed that he earned around Rs 2 lakh this year alone.

The revenue could have been much higher if he was able to keep his full focus on this activity.

However, as he alone cannot take up the work, he is working alongside 3 other people.

As such, he is not only self-employed but also providing job opportunity for others.

(The above article has been written as part of the Media Fellowship Programme in Scientific Journalism taken up by Public Relation and Media Management (PRMM) Cell CAU Imphal.

For additional information, PRMM Cell Information and Publicity officer head Dr Indira Thounaojam can be contacted through the email [email protected]) .

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