Brajendra Nath from Rajshahi
Baragachi Union of Poba Upazila of Rajshahi is called the heart of vegetable cultivation. Most of the farmers in this area are vegetable growers. They apply vermicompost fertilizer in their lands after learning about the uses and benefits of this fertilizers through many programs and training workshops arranged BARCIK and government and private service providers.
While asking regarding the use and benefit of Vermincompost Md. Masud Ali (45), a farmer of Karigar Para, said, “I have been cultivating vegetable for about 15 years. Before using vermincompost I applied chemical fertilizers and found my production cost high. Besides, because of using chemical fertilizers on the soil, the condition of the soil has become so bad that the soil is no longer able to absorb energy. It also increases the diseases of the crops due to not having enough energy. However, applying vermincompost I found my vegetable and crops healthy and they are not susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, I have been using vermicompost in vegetable cultivation since 2021.
Md. Masud Ali has bought vermincompost from a woman farmer Bilkis Begum. The women started making vermicompost fertilizer by earthworms with since 2016. Now she is making vermicompost fertilizer in her 200 basins. However, when she started making vermincompost with earthworm people in the village criticized her telling that she makes her times and labor useless. But today she has proved that she did nothing wrong. Farmers in the village buy vermincompost from her and many farmers from other village too come to her for fertilizer. She is now a solvent woman farmer and acted as advisor to the farmers who recently started to make vermincompost seeing her success.
On the other hand, Md. Ishaq Ali (55) of Madhavpur village cultivated gourd on 10 khata land using organic fertilizers and organic pesticides. He said, ‘I have been cultivating various types of vegetables for 20 years using chemical fertilizers. But for the last three years I started using vermincompost and I found my vegetable and crop healthy. The color of the leaves is good. So I would say that vermicompost does not only improve soil fertility but also plays a role in making crop plants and flowers healthy. Let us all move forward in using vermicompost, let us save the soil and the soil will save us.’
