Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Apr 23, 2002 |
|
|
|
|
|
Agri-Biz & Commodities
-
Interview Prime Bio focusing on quality organic manure L.N. Revathy
A typical vermi cast production yard (left). Compost being prepared from organic and bio-wastes.
COIMBATORE, April 22 STUNG by the poor and inconsistent quality of the organic manure that was available in the market, Prime Bio Products (India) Ltd has forayed into production of vermicasting and organic manure products. The company was kick-started about 18 months back, ``with a mission to promote sustainable agriculture that is both friendly to environment and affordable to comman man through the use of modern biotechnology,'' says its Managing Director, Mr Vikram Mohan. Excerpts from an interview to Business Line : There is a mushrooming growth of organic manure production units. How do you think you can carve a niche for your product? The quality of the organic manure is inconsistent. The products are not standardised. We, at Prime, impose stringent checks to ensure that the quality norms are maintained. We took lessons from Dr Radhakalle of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on vermicasting and made slight modifications. Our products range from nematode control formulation, nitrogen fixing bacteria, bio-fungicide and pesticide, besides crop specific formulations as pepper wilt control mix, for cardamom, paddy, cashew, grapes, chillies, banana etc. What is your production capacity and availability of raw material (vegetable waste) for the product? We are working on vegetable waste, which was hitherto being dumped outside the market area causing environmental hazard. We will need about 30,000-40,000 tonnes of such waste per year. The matter includes banana pseudo stem, press mud, organic vegetable waste etc. Our present production capacity is 8,000 kg per day of vermicasting. What is your marketing strategy? We have established a network of distributors in the southern States and Maharashtra. We are planning to widen the network during the current fiscal. In fact, we are also contemplating to establish a franchisee network for setting up such vermicompost yards, to make the operations cost effective and ensure timely delivery. We have been able to make a breakthrough in certain pockets. For instance, in Davanagiri, about 270 acres of paddy field, spread of 19 villages have switched over to our product from the conventional chemical fertilisers. How do you educate the growers? We train and educate the growers. We are more interested in selling of the concept, rather than selling the product itself. Trials are conducted in a small area in the growers plot itself to convince him about the product as also educate him about the usage of the product. But, before that, we carry out sample test of the soil customise our product accordingly. Do you think it is possible to eventually make farming a totally organic activity? It is. But I call it a fad. Considering the rise in population growth and the cost of organic products, it would not be within the reach of the common man. Why do you think hi-tech agri-units have not taken off to a good start yet? In recent years, the emphasis has been on hi-tech agricultural practices. But the progress is slow and rather insignificant, because there is apprehension about new ventures. Our policies are not friendly. There is a lot of delay at every stage because the classifications are not clear. This delay in processing of papers could at times make the project unviable.
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|