Five farmers who became organic manure millionaires

Organic manure is a key component of organic farming. It increases the soil's water-holding capacity and gives plants essential growth nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Organic fertilizers are easy to apply, either by adding them to the soil or spraying them on leaves.

Above all, organic fertilisers do not harm the soil or the environment. They include compost, vermicompost, farmyard manure, green manure, seaweeds and others.

India has a significant advantage in organic manure production due to its abundant supply of raw manure resources.

With a bovine population exceeding 300 million, comprising cattle, buffalo, and yak, India has a big source of raw materials for organic manure, as per the National Dairy Development Board.

During 2020-21 and 2021-2022, the total production of organic fertilizers in India was 429.40 lakh metric tonnes and 449.50 lakh metric tonnes respectively, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

However, the demand for organic manure is much higher in domestic and international markets than the current production. This makes vermicomposting and manure manufacturing lucrative options for farmers. Here are five farmers who realised the potential of organic manures and became manure millionaires:

1. Abdul Ahad Lone, Jammu and Kashmir

Abdul, an organic farmer in Anantnag, Kashmir, began making vermicompost after hearing a conversation between two Sikkimese women on a train. He prepared four beds of 15ft x 3ft and used the resulting vermicompost on his farm. His crop yield was good and there was no looking back. His unit now produces over 5,000 kg of manure daily, clocking Rs 50,000 turnover, and Abdul gives free training in vermicomposting.

His story is here: This Kashmir farmer earns Rs 50,000 daily through vermicompost

2. Kanika Talukdar, Assam

Kanika was widowed when she was 27, and her daughter was 4 months old. She learnt to make vermicompost and invested Rs500 to produce her first batch of 8 quintals in 2014. Today, this rural woman entrepreneur from Nalbari sells her vermicompost across India, earning Rs 3.5 lakh per month.

Read her full story here: How this Assam woman earns Rs3.5 lakh per month through vermicomposting

3. Kavya Dhobale-Datkhile, Maharashtra

When Kavya was drawing a monthly salary of Rs75000 in Mumbai as a nurse at Sion Hospital, Mumbai, she quit her job to promote sustainable farming at the grassroots. She now makes vermicompost and creates awareness about chemical-free cropping.

Kavya first used the crop on her farm to prove the concept to other farmers and then others started buying from her. Her annual turnover is Rs24 lakh and she has trained 200 people in vermicomposting.

Read her story here: Nurse quits high-paying govt. job to make vermicompost; clocks Rs24 lakh annual turnover

4. Jayant Barve, Maharashtra

Worried about the use of chemicals, Barve began mixing organic ingredients like oil cakes, silicon oxide, phosphates and rock dust to make organic manure and continued lab tests for almost two years.

“We got good results,” he says. So he set up a factory in Vita, which now annually produces over 10,000 tonnes of organic manure, plant growth promoters and soil conditioners which are sold not only across India but also exported to Taiwan, Kenya, Tanzania and other African countries. The annual turnover is Rs10 crore.

Here’s his story: Jayant Barve: Maharashtra’s organic farmer who became manure millionaire

5. Mangesh Lawande, Maharashtra

Mangesh Lawande lost his job when the General Motors plant near Pune shut down in 2020. He began farming custard apples in his village Jejuri. Since good yields required quality organic fertilisers, he learned about vermicomposting.

Along with custard apple farming, he began vermicomposting. Today, his annual turnover is Rs30 lakh from just two acres of farmland.

Here is the story: Custard apple farmer forays into vermicomposting; clocks Rs30 lakh annually

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture)

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