Facing chemical fertilizer shortage, Syangja farmers turn to vermicompost

After failing to get chemical fertilizer on time, farmers in Syangja have turned to vermicompost as an alternative. The Waling Product Holding Multipurpose Cooperative, based in Waling, has been producing this fertilizer commercially.

The cooperative was established in 2077 BS and has been training members and lead farmers in production and income generation from it since 2079 BS. According to its chairman, Yam Bahadur Gurung, around 260 farmers were initially trained and provided with earthworm seed stock and pits for rearing.

The organic fertilizer is made by feeding earthworms cow and buffalo dung, vegetable peels, decomposed leaves and banana stems. Its use has grown because it contains more of the primary and micronutrients plants need compared with other organic fertilizers. Farmers who had degraded their soil with chemical fertilizer have also started using this fertilizer and compost to restore it.

Farmers can use the fertilizer they produce on their own fields or sell it; if they cannot sell it themselves, the cooperative helps arrange a market. The cooperative has leased about three ropanis of land near the playground in Waling-8 for five years, where fertilizer and seed stock are being produced in roughly 45 small and large pits.

Chairman Gurung said that while it was initially difficult to make farmers understand this fertilizer, demand has now become hard to keep up with.