Production & Marketing of Organic Production & Marketing of Organic InputInput VermicompostVermicompost -- A Case Study A Case Study FromFrom RiRi--BhoiBhoi District of District of MeghalayaMeghalaya

Dr. A.K. TripathiSr. Scientist & I/c

Div. of Agril. Econs. & Stat.ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region

Umiam, Meghalaya

Importance of the problemImportance of the problem

The success of any production system is largely depending upon the availability of inputs, which can be produce and marketed locally with the remunerative price by using locally available resources. The key to the success of organic farming system is the production of all inputs like, manures, plant protection etc., and on-farm utilizing the local resources wherein animal husbandry plays a catalytic role.

Cont...Cont...The organic input is one of the key factors for the maintaining of soil fertility in organic production system. Many organic inputs such as farm yard manure (FYM), bio-fertilizers, azolla are used to maintain the soil fertility at desired level in whichvermicompost is one of the key inputs getting popular on account of its higher nutrient contents.Organic manure produced due to activity of earthworm is commonly referred to asvermicompost.

Nutrient composition (%) of different composts

Type of Composts N P K

Azolla compost 2.73 0.67 2.93

Vermicompost 1.68 1.06 1.57

Rural compost 0.50-1.0 0.40-0.80 0.18-1.2

Urban compost 0.70-2.0 0.9-3.0 1.0-2.0

Source: Hazarika et al. (2006); Sharma (2002)

Production (10Production (1066 t) from crop residues in NE regiont) from crop residues in NE region

0.340.130.370.560.220.610.170.33Oilseeds

0.290.100.390.480.160.650.090.17Pulses

17.821.70.4629.72.820.760.180.35Maize

17.040.198.6428.40.3214.44.08.0Rice

K2OP2O2NK2OP2O2N

Probable nutrientsPotential nutrientsTotal available production

Total production

Crop residues

Nutrient potential and actual availability (‘000 Nutrient potential and actual availability (‘000 tonnestonnes) for use through ) for use through different sources in the NE Regiondifferent sources in the NE Region

14.7116.4532.17-----Total nutrients (kg/ha)

7.379.2719.10-----Inorganic source (fertilizer) kg/ha

7.347.1813.07-13.8810.2320.91-Nutrients (kg/ha) (organic source)

36.0135.2164.08-68.0850.16102.59-Total organic sources

5.742.283.42-5.742.283.42-Forest litter

0.040.020.14-0.040.020.14700Green manure

0.470.170.52-0.470.170.52117Compost

29.7632.7460.0-55.0947.6998.51-AnimalsTotal

9.091.518.333012.992.1611.911083ExcretaPoultry

0.280.140.32500.560.280.64320Urine

0.080.080.15200.100.100.19380Dung (Wet)Pig

0.020.010.02800.110.050.12574Urine

0.290.280.63500.580.521.26574Dung (Wet)Goat/Sheep

4.730.184.737518.930.9518.9428403Urine

15.2730.5445.823021.8243.6365.4543631Dung (Wet)Cattle

K2OP2O2NK2OP2O2N

Actually available for use

Probable loss (%)

PotentialAnnual production

CommoditySource

Cont...Cont...

For preparation of vermicompost raw material required such as crop residue, weeds, leaves, biomass and cowdung is available in adequate amount in Meghalaya (Tripathi & Mandal, 2009;Dutta et al., 2007).

Cont...Cont...

The North Eastern Region is the most suitable area of India for organic agricultural farming because of its number of added advantages. This region is said to be, by and large, organic by default or the farmers of this region are de factoorganic producers. The Meghalaya situation is no difference where the farmer is using very less quantity of external inputs and providing opportunity to grow various crops under organic production system.

Cont...Cont...

The per capita consumption of fertilizer is very low which is around 17 kg/ha that is mainly confine to the vegetable crops consumption of fertilizer in the food crops and cereals & pulses crops are very negligible. The traditional method, jhum cultivation and bun cultivation occupy the major share of the total crop area is by default organic production system where no external inputs of any form are used.

Consumption of plant nutrients per unit of Consumption of plant nutrients per unit of gross cropped area in NE statesgross cropped area in NE states

98.07.122.068.9All India22.92.34.216.4Tripura6.50.42.14.0Sikkim3.60.31.51.7Nagaland10.63.44.92.3Mizoram17.60.65.611.4Meghalaya93.31.18.284.6Manipur19.82.55.212.1Assam

2.50.40.61.5Arunachal Pradesh

TotalK2OP2O2NPlant nutrients (kg/ha)State

Cont...Cont...

Presently the demand of vermicompost has been increased due to many programmes on organic production undertaken by different government agencies like Spices Board; Agriculture Marketing Board, Government of Meghalaya. Currently about 1000 ha area is under organic production system in different stages covering crops like turmeric, ginger, cashewnut, pineapple, and black pepper.

MethodologyMethodology

Viewing the demand of vermicompost in northeastern region, a study was undertaken with the objective to examine the pattern of thevermicompost production, economics and marketing in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The data on production and marketing as well as constraints was collected from 30 farmers that are trained and practicing vermicompost regularly as well as from research organization.

Cont...Cont...

Purpose sampling was followed to collect the data since the vermicompost production in the district is confined to the farmers engaged in organic production.Study also revealed that there is no systematic system currently under operation for the marketing of vermicompost. Only the producer does the marketing undertaken the training from the various organization that has been engaged in production process.

ResultsResultsA. MarketingThe production is mainly for own consumption and if excess amount is left, it will be directly sold to the consumer. The marketable surplus in vermicompost was found very low at the farmers’ field since the production is home consumption and which is in the ranges of 20 to 30 per cent at farmers’ unit whereas the other agency involved in production and marketing mostly on demand basis having higher surplus in range of 82 to 82.6 per cent. The producers’ share in consumer rupee was found to be in range of 93.02 to 95.20 per cent.

Economics of Economics of VermicompostVermicompost Production from Production from Research Farm & FarmersResearch Farm & Farmers’’ Field/sq mField/sq m

3768.84824.9Total Cost (A+B+C+D)E.134.5150.8Cost of earthwormD.73.299.6Interest on working capital @ 12% for 3 monthsC.1500.02000.0Cost of fresh cowdung + basic + sieve, etciii.180.0227.3Cost of fresh cowdung + basic + sieve, etc ii.

760.01090.9Labour cost & collection of crop residue/weeds, chopping collection of worms & their maintenance etc

i.Working costB.

640.6743.9Bed construction RCCii.480.5512.50Making of thatch house with bamboo partitioni.

Establishment costA.COST1.

Farmers’Field(Rs)

Low cost model Research farm (Rs)

ItemSl. No.

Cont...Cont...

1.291.44INPUT-OUTPUT5.10812123NET INCOME4.48506948GROSS INCOME3.

35005445Sell of earthworm minimum three times 10999/m2 for research farm and 7500 for farmers’ field @Rs 0.5/earthworm

ii.

13501500Vermicompost production/m2/ two months and 3 crops @Rs 10/kg 50 kg/m2 for research farm and 45 kg/m2

for farmers’ unit

i.INCOME2.

Farmers’Field(Rs)

Low cost model Research farm (Rs)

ItemSl. No

B. ProductionB. ProductionData collected from the farmers’ field and research organization (ICAR) were compared to examine the profitability of vermicompost.The economics has been calculated on the annual basis including the cost of establishment and operation cost per square unit. It is clear from the analysis that in the research system production cost per unit was higher (Rs 4,824.92) in comparison to farmers’ level (Rs 3,768.77), which is mainly because of higher cost of establishment as well as the higher cost incurred for the maintenance of required number of earthworm (2000/m2).

Cont...Cont...The total net return for one year was Rs 2123.63 in the research farm and Rs 1081.23 in the farmers’ field. The research farm higher as compared to the farmers’unit inspite of the higher cost incurred net income received from the research unit during establishment. The main reason for the less income obtained from the farmers’ field was less number of the earthworm maintained (Rs 1,500/m2) against the desired level of 2000/m2 which reduced the efficiency ofvermicompost as well as total number of earthworm available for sale.

Cont...Cont...

The efficiency of the farmers’ level units can be enhanced with the adoption of the desired technology. The economics worked out by Bhatt &Bujarbaruah (2005) in Ri-Bhoi district revealed that per year net income of Rs 16227 could be obtained from 6.6/m2 following the improved technology.

ConstraintsConstraintsMajority of the respondent (95%) had the opinion about the maintenance of the desired level of the earthworm in production process and lack of financial support for extending vermicompost units in large scale is major constraint. Due to the uncertainty in the demand of vermicompost, farmer is not willing to take the risk for the production and marketing inspite vermicompost production is a viable enterprise in Ri-Bhoi district. The absence of marketing channels reduced themovability of the inputs from one place to another place and restricted the development of market and demand.

ConclusionConclusion

The foregoing study indicates that production ofvermicompost is economically viable in the district and has greater opportunity to cover more number of districts since the raw materials are available in bulk quantity at reasonable price. To create the demand of vermicompost there is a need to create an awareness among the farmers about the availability inputs in district, which will be helpful for the producer to increase the production.

Approximate quantity (Approximate quantity (tonnestonnes) of micronutrients ) of micronutrients added to soil annually through organic sources in added to soil annually through organic sources in the NE regionthe NE region

-108.537.593.595.5Satisfaction (%)

-14024385180Removal at present rate of productivity (g/ha)

31529360172Gross cropped area (g/ha)16.6743.946.51763.9843.2Total

1.12.117.666.446.9Green manure and Compost

-2.03.023.416.7Pig and other animals-726.19.623.7403.4Goat/sheep15.513.716.31650.4376.2Cattle (dung and urine)MoBCuMnZnSource

Low cost vermicompost unit at farmer’s field