Rangpur vermicompost producers attaining financial solvency

Our Correspondent
RANGPUR, Mar 03: A good number of people at different villages under Pairabond union of Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district are becoming financially solvent through producing organic fertiliser vermicompost.
People of many villages including Adarshapara, Vangarpara, Purbopara, Nayapara, Pachimpara under the upazila have turned to earthworm raising and vermicomposting and thus found the way to change their lot as the business proved lucrative.
According to sources vermicomposting is a process of composting worm castings (manures) providing fertilisers rich in nutrient which is an alternative to harmful chemical fertilisers.
Sufia Begum (30), one of successful producers of vermicompost of Vangarpara village told The Financial Express that she took training on vermicomposting five years ago from DAE. At first she bought 800 earthworms at Tk 2000 and began her business. As worms can hatch out within 4 to 5 weeks, she got satisfactory output. She has 3 worm beds set up inside their cowshed where manures are also composted. She usually produces 600-800 kg of compost per month and sells those at Tk 9000 to Tk 12000. Like Sufia more than several hundreds women in the union are engaged in the business and are earning their livelihood.
A number of vermicompost producers told The Financial Express that the business of composting manures should be promoted for the reason that it helps crops grow rapidly and also has no detrimental effects. They said this organic fertiliser is very effective and can protect the land from pest attack as well. If they get proper training, adequate marketing facility and other government supports they can certainly enhance the business which will also be encouraging to others, they further said.
Many farmers of the region lauded the quality of the organic fertiliser as an alternative to chemical fertiliser, as chemical fertilisers are injurious to ecology.
According to Upazila Agriculture office sources use of vermicomposts can improve soil fertility and also enhance crop yields significantly. They are motivating the farmers to use such organic fertiliser instead of chemical fertilisers. The agri-officials are also providing necessary assistances to them who are involved in the production and use of earthworms and vermicompost, sources further said.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources said indiscriminate use of chemical fertiliser has put the ecology under threat. On the other hand vermicompost is an eco-friendly organic fertiliser. The fertiliser is also cheaper than urea and other fertilisers. It can help increase soil fertility and thus can boost up crop production, sources added.
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