Vermicompost Business: Established business worth crores with earthworm manure, know the success story of B.Tech Sana Khan 

Vermicompost Business: When you move forward with full hard work to achieve your goal, no one can stop you from being successful. Such is the story of Sana Khan of Meerut. Who set up a business of Vermicompost after doing B.Tech and seeing her success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned her in his Mann ki Baat program. Sana Khan is also the brand ambassador of Meerut’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. How and why Sana Khan started the business of Vermicompost and what challenges she had to face. She discussed all these issues with Kisan of India’s correspondent Pankaj Shukla.

When you move forward with full hard work to achieve your goal, no one can stop you from being successful. Such is the story of Sana Khan of Meerut. Who started a business of Vermicompost after doing B.Tech and seeing her success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned her in his Mann ki Baat programme.

Sana Khan is also the brand ambassador of Meerut’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. How and why did Sana Khan start the business of Vermicompost and what challenges did she face. She discussed all these issues with Kisan of India correspondent Pankaj Shukla.

Got the idea from a college project

Sana Khan says that the agriculture sector was unknown to her. In the fourth year of B.Tech Biotech, she got a project related to Vermicompost Business. Since then, her interest in it increased a little and she came to know about this field. After completing her studies, she started making vermicompost business with 30 beds by forming a company named ‘SJ Organics’ in 2014.

Sana Khan says that because she did not know much about this sector, she was very excited about this work in the beginning and she thought that this is a very good career option.

Farmers will easily buy vermicompost, but later she understood that due to many reasons farmers do not easily come towards vermicompost, so the work was not as easy as it seemed.

How does she arrange for cow dung?

Vermicompost means making manure from earthworms and cow dung. It is completely organic, which is no less than a boon for both soil and crops. Cow dung is most needed to make this manure. Sana Khan says that initially she used to go door to door to collect cow dung, which was not only difficult but also cost a lot of money, so she hired contractors who provide her cow dung at a fixed price.

Sana says that Meerut is a city where there is an abundance of cow dung, because there is a dairy in every street and every dairy has at least 50-60 cows and buffaloes. This is the reason that a lot of cow dung was being thrown into the drains, that is, it was getting wasted.

In such a situation, one of the reasons behind starting the vermicompost business was to make proper use of this useless cow dung. In such a situation, it would not be wrong to say that Sana is turning the city’s waste into money.

Process of making vermicompost

Sana Khan first advises those who want to start vermicompost business to not get misled by anyone, because some people are working to mislead the farmers. Also, if the farmer wants to make it, then he must first clarify the purpose whether he wants to make vermicompost for himself or wants to prepare it commercially.

In how many ways is vermicompost made?

Vermicompost is made in two ways, windrow and pit method. If someone wants to make vermicompost commercially, then the windrow method is suitable for him. In this, a bed is made in a line in which cow dung is first put, earthworms and then straw are put on top. After that, water is sprayed from above to maintain moisture.

Controlling air, temperature and moisture is important for vermicompost

Sana Khan tells that to make vermicompost, it is very important to control the air, temperature and moisture in the bed. The straw that is put on top works to control the temperature and water, as well as increases the amount of nitrogen in the manure. As the manure decomposes, the ratio of nitrogen and carbon becomes equal.

Types of earthworms

There are many types of earthworms, Sana Khan says that there are three types of earthworms, epigeic, perigeic and endogeic. Endogeic earthworms go completely below the ground. Usually the Indian species goes completely below the ground and cannot work in the upper layer.

On the other hand, epigeic earthworms work 4-6 inches below the bed, as the manure goes out, they go downwards. They like shade and work 24 hours. Not only this, they have the ability to tolerate temperatures ranging from 0 to 56 degrees.

In how many days is the manure ready 

Sana Khan tells that usually the manure is ready in 60 days, but sometimes it depends on the weather. Therefore, they also have to work on making manure according to the weather. In some seasons, the amount of manure is slow and sometimes manure is made in very large quantities.

Further she tells that the process of making manure slows down in January-December, because the earthworms are in the upper layer and it is their time to lay eggs, so they have to decide the work accordingly. 15-20 days old cow dung is used to make manure.

The cow dung is brought to the unit and left in the open for 15-20 days so that the gas or heat escapes. After 60 days, when the manure is ready, the upper layer is removed and when the earthworms start coming up, then it is left.

After this, another layer is removed after 3-4 days. This process continues like this. When all the manure is removed, the manure at the bottom is left and the earthworms are reused by making a bed again.

Use of farm waste

Sana Khan says that along with cow dung, other farm wastes that can easily rot can be added to the Vermicompost Business. This will have two benefits, waste will be reduced and good quality manure will be produced. She says that she also prepares sandwich manure, biodegradable waste is used along with cow dung. In this, first cow dung is added, then a layer of waste and then waste is added, but it takes about 3 months for this manure to be ready. Sana Khan delivers Vermicompost to every corner of the country, along with this she also provides earthworms to the farmers.

Organic manure is the food of the soil

Sana Khan says that this manure is the food of the soil, right now the soil is on chemicals. In such a situation, it cannot be shifted to organic manure immediately, because it will cause loss to the farmers. Farmers should start slowly. For example, first add 25 percent organic manure, then gradually increase its quantity. It takes at least 3 years to get the full benefit of organic farming. She also advises farmers to get the soil tested so that it can be known whether the soil is suitable for the crop they are going to plant or what is lacking in it.

Packing is done after sieving

Sana Khan tells about the processing of manure that first it is collected and a heap is made. Then it is put in a grinder machine and ground and then it is sieved and its moisture, pH etc. are checked. After that packing is done.

She says that if a farmer makes it for his fields, then he can add manure without sieving. Sana Khan tells that her husband takes all the responsibility of marketing vermicompost. Her fertilizer is exported in bulk to the entire country. When Sana started her work, she had only one worker, but today she is providing employment to 50-60 people.

Sana Khan appeals to the youth to join agriculture so that their new thinking and ideas can benefit the farmers.