Hyderabad civil society outfit helps farmers turn waste into wealth

Hyderabad: The commodities that were once deemed superfluous and required appropriate means of disposal have now transmuted into a lucrative resource, serving as a source of income for tribal groups.

Hyderabad-based civil society organisation, Centre for People’s Forestry (CPF), is helping farmers belonging to four villages of Utnoormandal in Adilabad district for the production of vermicompost and enhancing their income through organic farming.

The inhabitants of Aliguda, UmapathiKunta, GR Nagar, and Thukaram Nagar have jointly resolved to refrain from vending their bovine excrement to intermediaries and instead utilise it for producing vermicompost, facilitated by CPF, which has assisted in establishing the necessary manufacturing units.

Speaking to The Hans India, Satyanarayana, senior programme officer said, “We created awareness among farmers regarding diversification of crop pattern and vermicompost. Initially, although most of them were reluctant to change their cropping pattern, over a period of time, they gained interest and preferred to cultivate fruits and vegetables. We encouraged them, irrespective of the size of the land holdings, one-fourth of it must be devoted to cultivation of fruits and other crops.”

Most farmers in these villages are earning nearly Rs 70,000-1.2 lakh annually through cultivation of fruits. We have carried out this programme in nearly 22 villages; it is yielding good dividends for farmers. Most tribal communities in this area are dependent on cotton crop only. Now, most farmers are enthused with this cropping pattern. In nearly 500 acres fruits and other vegetables are grown, he added.

The CPF established tribal farmers’ service centres at village-level to guide farmers through awareness camps. They also organise field schools where farmers participate in field visits. These initiatives have been instrumental in setting up vermicompost units. In Utnoormandal alone, 58 units have been established within the past year.

Since 2022 CPF has been diligently working to promote awareness amongst indigenous community regarding benefits of organic farming and intrinsic value of cow dung. Prior to CPF’s intervention, tribal farmers owned a significant cattle; dung produced was typically disposed of on the village outskirts. Farmers generally sold dung for a meager sum of Rs.3,000-4,000/tractor.

The concerted efforts by CPF to raise awareness among indigenous population, coupled with training sessions for select tribal farmers, has yielded tangible dividends. As other members of the community began to realise the potential value of cow dung in organic farming, they too embraced vermi-composting. Trained farmers have since assisted in setting up similar units within their respective villages.

The production cycle of vermin-composting typically ranges between 30 and 45 days; it has enabled farmers to generate a monthly income between Rs.8,000 and 10,000.