The Hindu Business Line : Setting up vermicompost unit in a new way

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Chennai March 6 Vermicompost is the basic ingredient for successful organic farming. More than 85 per cent of organic crop cultivation depends on it.

Usually farmers across the country build a roof either with thatched straw or asbestos sheets as a cover for their vermicompost manufacturing unit.

The bottom of the unit will either have sand or plain cement or sometimes toughened red soil.

A progressive organic farmer, Mr D. Bharani of Mayiladuthurai taluk in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district, has used local tree trunks for the four poles supporting his rudimentary compost unit.

"The tree trunks absorb the moisture from the compost unit and grow as individual trees,'' he says.

For the roof he has used the climbing tendrils of vegetable varieties such as bitter gourd and double beans. The plants also grow well absorbing the required moisture from the unit and their leaves provide shade to the manufacturing unit.

"In addition to making the compost which I sell at Rs 5 per kg, I am able to sell the harvested vegetables growing on top of the compost,'' he says.

"Farmers instead of spending money on constructing thatched sheds and asbestos, can follow simple methods like this. By doing so they can get double income from both the compost unit and the vegetables,'' he says. Though the life span of the vegetables is only 3-4 months, "I sow the seeds which will grow in that particular season to keep my income flowing,'' he says.