Md Selim is a farm entrepreneur from Babukhali village in Mohammadpur upazila of Magura. He once worked in Dhaka, but after watching YouTube he returned to his home village and took up organic fertiliser production. By producing environment-friendly vermicompost, or earthworm compost, he has set an example of success.

Md Selim told Jagonews: "Ordinary people in the area praise my success. If I keep going like this, success will come. If farmers benefit from organic vermicompost, we will benefit the most."

Sub-assistant agriculture officer Pranab Kumar Roy said long-term use of chemical fertiliser is destroying soil fertility and having a seriously harmful effect on the environment. Vermicompost, by comparison, is completely natural and environment-friendly, he said.

He said: "Selim used this fertiliser on his own land on a trial basis and got yields of cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables equal to those with chemical fertiliser."

The agriculture officer added: "Using vermicompost keeps the soil healthy, lowers production costs and makes it possible to ensure safe food. Selim's initiative is making local farmers interested in organic farming and is becoming an important example on the path to sustainable agriculture."

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