Nawalparasi, Aug 12: Gopi Chandra Rimal of Gaindakot in Nawalpur has earned up to Rs 360,000 in the past two months from vermiculture.
The 63-year-old has engaged in this occupation for three years. He started vermiculture at Baikunthapath in Gaindakot, utilizing one kattha of land (3,645 sq. ft) to prepare 12 beds of organic matter.
It takes approximately two months to harvest vermicompost from each bed after introducing earthworms. Earnings from each bed amount to Rs 30,000 every two months. The cost to produce vermicompost from each bed, including expenses for organic materials, labor, and packaging, is around Rs 15,000. Each bed yields up to 12 quintals of vermicompost, which is sold at Rs 25 per kg in the market.
The compost is primarily supplied to agro-vets and nurseries within the district, with some being transported to Gorkha and Chitwan. Rimal said that the compost is rich in plat nutrition content, incorporating 16 different nutrients, and can be used by farmers for up to a year from its production. This has significantly improved his livelihood.
“Now, 12 quintals of fertilizer are prepared every 10 days. After packing the produced fertilizer, I put it in the vehicle and take it to the market for sale,” Rimal narrated. He mentioned that the manure is prepared by bringing cow manure from the farmers’ farm and keeping it for six days after cooling the manure outside and putting earthworms on it in the bed.
“After placing the plastic in the bed, it should be mixed manure that has been cooled outside. After placing the manure, I put earthworms on top and cover it with a jute bag,” he explained how he makes the vermicompost.
According to him, once the water is sprinkled over the compost bed, the fertilizer starts to get ready. Mentioning that after 30 days of placing manure in the bed, the manure gradually gets ready to sell, he informed that in 60 days, all the manure in the bed will be removed and readied for sale.
Rimal said the prepared fertilizer extracted from the bed is being sent to the market after being selected and packed by the machine provided by Agriculture Knowledge Centre Nawalpur with 75% subsidy. Recalling that he started the business with three kilos of earthworms brought from Pokhara, he informed that he had no formal training.
Rimal further informed that the earthworm manure produced from the farm has been tested in the laboratory and it has been confirmed that it contains 16 different elements including nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and copper, which are necessary for the soil. He mentioned that after giving training to farmers and organizations about earthworm manure, commercial earthworm farming has started in Gaindakot English School, Jhyalbas of Hoopsekot Rural Municipality, Maulakalika Temple and other places.
Rimal said that earthworm compost can be prepared not only from cow dung but also from rotting waste from the kitchen, and this will also reduce waste emissions. He emphasized on the need to increase investment in earthworm breeding, animal husbandry, vegetable farming and other sectors as it is concerned with creating self-employment opportunities at the local level.
