Women entrepreneurs in several villages of Jhenaidah are increasingly turning to commercial earthworm-raising and vermicomposting as an alternative means of livelihood.
Most of these women are from poor financial backgrounds and focused on supplementing their family earnings through small-scale enterprises. Earthworm production, which requires minimal set-up costs, maintenance and labour, proved to be an ideal choice for them.
The business promises to be cost-effective which means they can construct worm beds and hatcheries right in their backyards, without needing to lease any land for that or hire employees.
Because of these reasons, a growing number of housewives in the remote villages of Parbatipur, Sondah and Kabirpur of the district’s Shailkupa upazila are showing interest in the business.
However, what inspires them most is the fact that they can, unlike in some other rural enterprises, expect to have quick profits by producing earthworms and vermicomposts – used as fishing baits, animal feeds, organic fertilisers, etc.
Sources said, vermicomposting - vermis from Latin meaning worms – is a process of composting worm castings (manures) producing fertilisers rich in nutrient, which can be an effective alternative to usually harmful chemical fertilisers that farmers use.
Shahnaz Begum, wife of farmer Siamat Ali in Parbatipur, is one such woman who divides her time between her roles as a vermicomposting entrepreneur and a homemaker.
She started by buying 1000 earthworms for Tk5000 from a Meherpur bazar back in April 2009 with the help of her husband. As worms can hatch out within an incubation period of three-five weeks, Shahnaz soon started having the desired output.
She has four worm beds built inside their cowshed where manures are also composted. Now, every month, she produces about 1050 kilograms of compost to be sold at Tk15, 000, as well as earning another Tk1, 000 from earthworm sales.
Moushumi Nahar, who pioneered earthworm farming in Parbatipur and neighbouring villages, started her business in early 2009 with a view to support her family, purchasing one kilogram of worms at Tk5, 000.
Within one and a half month, the worms started hatching. Currently, Moushumi has four mini-farms where worms are grown and manures composted.
“I generally produce about 1,000 kilograms of worm castings and sell them at Tk15, 000 each month. Around Tk1, 200 comes from the sale of worms,” she said.
She keeps a portion of the castings for her own use and sells the rest to wholesalers who then sell them at different markets of the district and other districts of Khulna.
Like Moushumi, about 150 women in the village also have their own small earthworm enterprises. Moushumi believes with a bit of training and government support, they can further their profits in future.
Rizia Parvin and Sahara Khatun of Sondah village and Kazi Eliza of Kabirpur village are also of the same opinion and described to this correspondent how they rose from being full-time housewives to being breadwinners.
Eliza thinks the business of composting manures can be promoted for the single reason that they help crops grow faster and have no side-effects.
“These organic fertilisers are excellent and can prevent pest attacks effectively. By spreading them on your fields, you can rest assured that no harm would be done to your crops,” she said.
Farmers Jalal Uddin, Kabir Biswas and Abdus Salam of Parbatipur also hailed the use of fertilisers produced using natural elements as an alternative to those produced artificially.
Their perception of soil fertility changed after noted agriculture scientist Dr Gul Hossain gave them a demonstration about the positive effects of using organic fertilisers.
“We had better yields after using these fertilisers. The paddy fields looked greener and fresher than before. I have stopped using chemical fertilisers since that demonstration,” said Kabir Biswas.
Contacted for comments, Bijoy Krishna Halder, agriculture officer of Shailkupa, said field-level staff members of the Department of Agriculture Extension were instructed to help women entrepreneurs and farmers involved with the production and use of earthworms and vermicomposts.
He further said that within five years the condition of soil would improve significantly if farmers continued to use natural elements instead of chemical ones.
In this regard, deputy director of the department in Jhenaidah Joynul Abedin said he was hopeful of improved soil conditions and resultant boost to crop yields in the district with the increasing abandonment of chemical fertilisers.