If we talk about Vermicompost, it is also known as earthworm manure. By the way, our country India is called an agricultural country, but there are many businesses related to agriculture in which people do not have much interest. And this is the reason that people do not even know much about them. Today we are going to talk about one such business through this article, whose name is Vermicompost making business.
Yes, this is also a business from which the educated and young population of our country remains almost far away. But since the government has encouraged the farmers to use organic manure, then the interest of people in this type of business has also started increasing.
And at present, not one but many such examples will be found across the country who started their own business of making Vermicompost and they are able to earn a lot today. As we all well know the price of organic products i.e. products produced from organic farming in the market is expensive as compared to normal products.
That is because they are considered more beneficial and beneficial for health. Due to this, the attraction of farmers has also increased towards organic manure. So starting a Vermicompost business in India can be a profitable business.
What is Vermicompost?
Vermicomposting is a process in which worms that have basically digested organic matter are managed in such a way that they convert that material into a beneficial soil amendment. Vermicopmost can also be defined as organic matter produced from trees, plants or animals.
In this process, earthworms are released in the waste produced from trees, plants and animals and these earthworms convert this waste into a beneficial soil resource. So in simple words we can also call it just an organic fertilizer. If we try to understand it in more easy and simple words, then we will find that most of the cow dung is used for making vermicompost.
Apart from cow dung, rotten leaves of trees, straw, farm waste etc. are also used and earthworms are released in all this waste. The waste of earthworms during this process is called vermicompost. Although we have explained it in easy and simple language but still would like to explain it once more. The process of making manure by rearing and using earthworms like earthworms etc. is called vermicomposting technique.
Under this technique earthworms eat the biomass and excrete it in digested form which is known as Vermicompost. It is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to produce organic manure for both small and large farmers.
Relevance of vermicomposting in India
Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer which is soil and environment friendly. But there came a time when the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides became very necessary in the country. This is when the Green Revolution in India started in the mid-1960s on burning issues like food shortage, increased agricultural production and use of high-yielding seeds. These high yielding seeds required intensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to produce more and more quickly.
Although there was a significant and significant increase in food production due to the Green Revolution in the country, but after that the dependence of the farmers of the country increased on chemical fertilizers, insecticides. And as a result, the use of organic fertilizers and manures started decreasing. Now because modern agricultural inputs i.e. chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been used in India for years, this has led to serious consequences in the quality of soil in India and not only the land but also the environmental quality has been significantly degraded.
And from this a point has also come to the fore that the farmers’ income from agriculture has decreased while the cost has seen an increase. It may also be due to a decrease in production due to a decrease in the quality of the soil. Due to all these above reasons, not only the government but also the farmers want to use organic fertilizers in their fields and want to keep their farming away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore farmers want to use Vermicompost i.e. earthworm manure in their fields.
How to start Vermicompost making business?
Vermicompost Business is such a business that very few people may know or say about which very few people may know. But this type of business can be started easily from rural areas and since it also includes the customers of the entrepreneur. It is mainly farmers, so the product produced can be easily sold.
Although no license and registration is required to set up such a unit, but to take advantage of the schemes of the central and state governments, the business may need to be registered at the local level. Even at present, vermicomposting technology is even called the technique of “making gold from waste” because of its significant contribution in organic farming.
Due to the very easy process of its manufacture, many farmers are also producing it themselves for their farming. But if an entrepreneur wants to set up a Vermicompost Unit commercially, then he has to take care of many things, whose brief description is given below.
1. Select Location for Vermicompost Business
As we have already mentioned that an ideal location to start Vermicompost Business can be where the entrepreneur can easily get the raw material used in this business. These include agricultural major cities and villages, towns, suburbs, etc. It means that if the entrepreneur wants to produce vermicompost on a large scale, then he will have to choose the area of agriculture.
Because both animal husbandry and agriculture are done by the farmers in the agricultural area, through animal husbandry etc., the entrepreneur can get cow dung etc. for his business, whereas the farmers who produce fruits, vegetables and grains, for their good production. Vermicompost is also used as manure. It is meant to say that in an agriculturally dominant area, the entrepreneur will also be able to produce vermicompost at a cheaper cost and will also be able to sell his manure to the local farmers in the same area.
2. Build the thatch
Whether the entrepreneur is setting up a small unit of Vermicompost or a large one, it is necessary to put a shed to secure the Vermi Bed. If the entrepreneur wants, according to his budget, a tin roof which is supported on various pillars, a roof made of wood and grass, or a roof based on RCC pillars can get anyone built.
However, the local material from which the construction of the roof is possible can also be used by the entrepreneur or HDPE sheet can also be used. However, the main purpose of the shed is to protect the vermi bed from damage caused by rain, sun, storm, etc. But the entrepreneur will have to design the shed for Vermicompost business in such a way that there is no hindrance in the movement of laborers going for filling and harvesting of vermi beds.
3. Build the Vermeer Bed
Although generally the height of the vermi bed can be anywhere from 0.3 M to 0.6 M, the fixed height may vary depending on the provision of additional water drainage. If the entrepreneur wants that there should not be any adverse effect in the production of his vermicompost, then he has to keep the height and width of the vermi bed the same. Therefore, the width of the vermi bed should not exceed 1.5 meters so that the center of the bed can be easily accessed.
4. Select a suitable site for making Vermicompost
Entrepreneur may need around 0.5-0.6 acres of land to start Vermicompost business. Six to eight sheds can easily be set up in this land and a separate area can also be reserved for finished products. And where the entrepreneur is doing this kind of business, it is very necessary to have a borewell or pump set for proper arrangement of water. If the land does not belong to the entrepreneur starting the Vermicompost business, then he will have to take it on lease for at least 10-15 years.
5. Assess the Requirement of the Building
However, in the initial phase, when the entrepreneur is starting this type of business on a very small scale, then he will not need to construct a building. But if the entrepreneur is planning to start the Vermicompost business on a large scale, he will also need to build an office in addition to the shed and may also have to provide housing facilities to his workers.
Therefore, while constructing the building, the entrepreneur will have to allocate separate space for one or two rooms for workers, for office, for store and for bathroom etc. There should be proper arrangement for drinking water to electricity etc. in the building.
6. Water supply system for vermicompost business
Water supply system is very important for vermicompost business as it requires to keep the vermi bed always moist with a humidity of about 50%. Therefore, there should be availability of water there, as well as how the water will be transported to the vermi bed, it is also very important to have a proper system.
If the entrepreneur wishes, drippers can also be used to reduce the loss of water due to round the clock flow of water and continuous supply. This can prove to be very economical in the long run as the operational cost of hand watering increases. However, the expenditure on these items depends on the water supply system chosen and the production capacity of the unit.
7. Buy the necessary machinery and equipment
As far as the machinery and equipment used in the Vermicompost Business is concerned, many farming equipments are used in it. Since it uses farm waste, rotten leaves, straw, dung etc. as raw material, farming tools are needed to cut the raw material into small pieces.
A variety of farm equipment is needed for loading, unloading, collecting manure, loosening the vermi bed for air, shifting the compost before packing, for loading the shredded raw material into the vermi shed. is required. These are small farm implements which are easily available in any local market.
An automatic packing and stitching machine may be required for packing vermicompost. Entrepreneur may also need a mini truck etc. to transport his product to the market and raw material etc. And furniture for offices and stores etc. may also be required.