Ampati, Sept 24: In the villages of South West Garo Hills, a quiet transformation is underway — one where farm waste, once discarded, is now being turned into manure, savings, and steady income.
At the centre of this shift is vermicomposting, a simple technique using earthworms to convert organic waste into nutrient-rich manure.
Backed by the District Horticulture Office’s Organic Manure Scheme (2023-24 to 2025-26), the initiative has quietly reshaped the economics of farming for several growers across the district — and their stories illustrate just how far a small, practical intervention can go.
At Bolsak Dobokgre under Betasing C&RD Block, farmer Nangman Marak has found an unlikely second income in what used to be discarded waste. With a vermicomposting unit set up under the scheme, he now produces around 1.8 tonnes of vermicompost every year. Selling it at Rs. 30 per kg, Nangman earns an annual turnover of up to Rs. 54,000 — a significant boost for a farming household.
Not far away, in Modhupara under Rerapara C&RD Block, marginal farmer Barnath D. Sangma tells a different but equally compelling story — one of savings rather than sales.
Before the scheme reached him, Barnath spent close to Rs. 10,000 every year buying cow dung to fertilise his vegetable plots. That changed in 2024-25, when he received his own vermicomposting unit.
Today, he produces about 2 tonnes of compost annually, entirely for his own use, and no longer needs to buy manure from outside. For Barnath, the intervention has meant one less input to worry about — and one more reason to feel self-reliant.
In Dathbanga under Zikzak C&RD Block, the benefits have taken root in an entirely different crop. Trivina Ch. Sangma runs a flower nursery, and vermicompost has become an essential part of her operation. Producing around 2 metric tonnes a year, she uses it to nourish her nursery beds and potted plants, before selling the flowers in the open market.
For Trivina, the payoff is twofold: healthier, stronger blooms, and a reliable new stream of income.
At Dorambokgre under Rerapara C&RD Block, Dilano Sangma has struck a balance between the two — using some of his produce and selling the rest. His compost unit, measuring 3m x 2m x 0.85m, yields close to 2 tonnes annually. He sells part of it at around Rs. 40 per kg, while using the remainder to nourish his own vegetable fields.
Four farmers, four different outcomes — yet a common thread runs through their stories. Whether through additional income, reduced spending, better nursery yields, or greater self-reliance, vermicomposting has given each of them a tangible way to strengthen their livelihoods.
