A new story of promise is being written in Azmatpur village of Jangalia union in Kaliganj upazila, Gazipur. The village is becoming known for producing vermicompost, an organic fertiliser made with earthworms, as an alternative to chemical fertiliser. The change was started by local farmer Kamruzzaman Sheikh.

He began producing vermicompost in the 2023-24 fiscal year, on the advice of the upazila agriculture office, first because he needed organic fertiliser for his own land. The agriculture office gave him 10 rings, a vermicompost house, the earthworms he needed and training. Seeing his success, neighbouring farmers took an interest. Now many in the same union follow him, including Shefali Begum, Fazlul Haque Morol, Motalib Bepari, Billal Hossain, Mostafa, Mohsin Sheikh, Md A Sattar, Md Mojibur Morol, Nilufa Yasmin and Farzana Akter, and they have gone into commercial production.

A small vermicompost centre has been built on unused land next to Kamruzzaman's house, with 10 rings and a cement house about 10 feet long. Cow dung is first left for five to seven days to release its gas, then earthworms are added. Within about 35 to 40 days a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser is ready; it is dried, packed and sold. The centre now markets more than a tonne of vermicompost a month.

Kamruzzaman Sheikh said: "At first I made organic fertiliser for my own use, but now it is one of my main sources of income. Each kilogram sells for Tk 15-20. Because demand is high, selling it is not hard. The earthworms are now sold separately too, at Tk 1,500 to 2,000 a kilogram."

The agriculture office said new farmers under the project have been given a vermicompost separator machine, polybags and a sealing machine. Farmers are also selling their fertiliser through local chemical fertiliser shops.

Local people say Azmatpur is now known not only for crops but for organic fertiliser too. If the trend continues, they say, the whole of Azmatpur village in Jangalia union will one day become a "vermicompost village".

Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Farzana Taslim said: "Building on Kamruzzaman's initiative, we have also trained new farmers. Vermicompost plays an important role in raising soil fertility, reducing salinity and cutting crop production costs. Compared with chemical fertiliser, it is safe and environmentally friendly."

Md Rafiqul Islam Khan, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Gazipur district, said: "Vermicompost is an effective, environmentally friendly organic fertiliser that plays an important role in raising soil fertility. Using it reduces dependence on chemical fertiliser, increases crop output and helps protect soil health. Farmers' interest in it is growing, and it has already become quite popular."

Dr Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury, director of the project to set up family nutrition gardens on uncultivated fallow land and homesteads (second revision), said: "The project ends this fiscal year, so there is currently no scope to set up new demonstrations. But interested farmers or entrepreneurs who stay in regular contact with the agriculture office may get opportunities under another project in future."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.