Unleashing the miracles of organic farming
Three years back when Meena suggested replacing chemical fertilizers with vermicompost, she was ridiculed and strongly opposed.
“My husband and son were not at all convinced to use organic manure. For them, it was a huge risk and could lead to losses,” said Meena Atmaram Hazare, a resident of Pimparkhed village in Jalna district of Maharashtra.
But Meena remained undeterred and approached WOTR to help her pursue organic farming. Pratibha, one of the Wasundhara Sevikas at WOTR, explained the process of vermicomposting and encouraged her to purchase a composting bed.
“But I was not in a position to invest 1200 rupees on a vermicompost bed. So finally Pratibha madam suggested that I set up the unit from scratch,” she smiled.
Despite facing huge resistance from her family members, Meena went ahead and prepared the composting unit. With proper care and attention, she could successfully prepare 6 bags of organic fertilizers in the very first attempt!
This was just the beginning though, and Meena was yet to discover the miracles of organic farming. She decided to use the compost for maize crop in about an acre of land. The results were amazing. Without any use of chemical fertilizers, the net profit from the crop was INR 5,000.
“Finally, my husband and son realized the importance of organic farming. I couldn’t be happier,” she chuckled.
Today Meena has produced more than 10 quintals of vermicompost. She is now planning to take it to the next level by stepping up production.
“Sometimes I still wonder why we used to spend such huge amounts on chemicals. Compared to that, organic compost costs nothing. And it maintains the soil health too.”
Today Meena and her family have actively adopted organic practices in agriculture, and encourage other community members too.
