The 12 months used to be 2008. Assam’s Kanika Talukdar used to be abound with happiness as her daughter used to be born after 3 years of her marriage. However this happiness may now not final lengthy as a result of quickly after, she misplaced her husband to a illness.
“My husband used to be down with a fever for a couple of days. We came upon that he had malaria. The native physician referred him to a Guwahati health center for remedy. Together with my father, he left for town for his remedy, however quickly we were given the scoop that he used to be not more,” the Borjhar village resident tells The Higher India.
“My daughter used to be very small. Whilst we had been grieving the dying of my husband, her whole long run’s accountability used to be in entrance of me. My folks introduced me again house from my in-laws’. I considered operating as I didn’t need to be an undesirable bojh (burden) for my aged folks,” she provides.
The incident inspired Kanika to embark on a adventure against self-empowerment. These days, the 45-year-old runs a vermicompost industry that earns her Rs 3.5 lakh per month.
How She Began
Having studied until magnificence 12, Kanika struggled financially and professionally. To fend for herself and her daughter, she labored low-paying jobs like weaving. For each Assamese saree she weaved, she would simplest get Rs 1,000.
“It could take a minimum of 8 days to weave a saree. I may slightly earn Rs 4,000 in a month. It used to be an overly small quantity for us to continue to exist,” she says.
It used to be simplest in 2014 that she attended a workshop and got here throughout a method to earn higher source of revenue. “Via my self-help workforce, I were given to find out about a five-day workshop carried out via Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). I participated in it and were given to find out about a number of industry alternatives like fish farming, poultry, and vermicomposting. I were given very enthusiastic about vermicomposting as I had simple get right of entry to to the entire uncooked fabrics like cow dung and leaves at my house,” she says.
For the primary time in some of these years, Kanika felt constructive. With simply Rs 500 of her financial savings and 1 kg of earthworms equipped via KVK in Nalbari district, she began the vermicompost industry.
She makes use of bamboo which is in the neighborhood to be had to make the construction of the vermicompost beds. To arrange the vermicompost, Kanika says, she makes use of paddy residue, and stems of water hyacinth, and mixes it in conjunction with cow dung to show this natural particles into malicious program castings.
“Farmers use those malicious program castings over chemical-laden urea to support the fertility of the soil and thereby their vegetation. Vermicompost incorporates top quantities of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium,” she says.
In 365 days, Kanika used to be in a position to supply 800 pounds of vermicompost. Again then, she bought the compost for Rs 10 consistent with kg and utilised the entire income to amplify the industry.
“Previous, I had two cows however later I purchased 4 extra cows to get extra cow dung. I additionally supply a minimum of 30 truckloads of cow dung from farmers to spice up manufacturing,” she says.
She has arrange 10 vermicompost beds each and every of 10×3 ft in dimension. Along with this, she has additionally arrange a 85×35 ft vermicompost mattress on 1.5 bigha land of her circle of relatives. These days, she is in a position to produce as much as 35 tonnes of vermicompost in a month.
A distressed mother grew to become exemplary businesswoman
The main step forward in her vermicompost industry got here when in 2019 she attended a two-month orientation programme organised via the North East Agriculture Generation Marketers Hub (NEATeHub), an innovation hub underneath the Assam Agricultural College.
As a part of the educational, Kanika learnt to make vermiwash – a liquid extract comprised of vermicompost in addition to enriched vermicompost manure that has upper nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content material over common vermicompost.
“Whilst vermiwash is used as a biopesticide, the enriched vermicompost which is ready via the joint motion of earthworms and microbes like Trichogramma, is used to prevent the expansion of sicknesses and support the total well being of the vegetation. This added new product classes to my portfolio,” she says.
Underneath the logo Jay Vermi Compost, she sells vermicompost, vermiwash, and enriched vermicompost priced at Rs 12 consistent with kg, Rs 70 consistent with litre, and Rs 40 consistent with kg, respectively.
Kanika sells the goods to Assam’s agriculture division and to a minimum of 25 nurseries throughout Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal, and Nagaland thru Flipkart and Amazon.
A In point of fact Inspiring Story of Perseverance And Grit
Without a prior industry enjoy, Kanika now earns in lakhs each month. If truth be told, she may be invited via the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Assam, each month to coach scholars in industry.
Sharing a couple of guidelines, she says, “If anyone desires to begin this industry, they must make certain that they produce just right high quality vermicompost. The source of revenue available in the market is determined by the standard of vermicompost they produce.”
On what separates high quality vermicompost from others available in the market, she says, “A just right high quality vermicompost must have 40-50 % moisture content material. It must now not be too dry. To start with, whilst you upload the entire uncooked fabrics, you must water it for 20 days. It is helping soak the uncooked fabrics and makes it more uncomplicated for earthworms to chunk and excrete. It takes about 35 days to arrange vermicompost.”
Kanika used to be the primary in her village to challenge into the industry. Taking a look again at her existence 9 years in the past, she says, “After I first attended the workshop, I needed to trip 3 km to get there. It could price me Rs 15-20 for one-way trip. There have been days once I would now not also have cash for the adventure house. I must stroll. I couldn’t even purchase water if I were given thirsty en direction.”
“These days, I’m able to educate my daughter in a just right college. I want she both turns into a physician or will get into an agriculture college. Up to now, I didn’t really feel comfy asking my folks for cash. Fortunately, I do not need to invite for cash from any person lately. With my income, I additionally were given my house renovated and built an administrative center for myself,” she says with satisfaction.
In 2021, Kanika used to be conferred the national-level Padma awards via the Indian Council of Agricultural Analysis (ICAR), New Delhi.
“Only some years again, I may now not have even imagined that I might get reputation from the federal government. The happiness can’t be expressed in phrases,” she says.
Edited via Padmashree Pande; All pictures: Kanika Talukdar.