<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Once Tania Parvin, and her four-member family, had to struggle to make ends meet. One day she saw a video on YouTube on how to make vermicompost at home, and her journey to economic emancipation started.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With the help of the local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), she began her production with a three-ring slab in 2017 after receiving training. Gradually her production expanded.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Twelve to 15 tons of fertilizer is produced from my 36 units every month. I had only 12 units in the beginning. The retail price per kg is Tk 15 and the wholesale price is TK12,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She now earns Tk 100,000 per month by producing the organic fertilizer.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tania is now selling this fertilizer in various parts of the country. She said, the demand for this fertilizer is increasing by the day.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“My fertilizer has grown in popularity. I'm also selling it in various parts of the country. My husband is very supportive,” she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Inspired by her, many women from Faridpur district started producing the fertilizer at home and are making a good living.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“Many women are now coming to me to learn how to make organic fertilizer”, she added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This organic fertilizer refreshes the soil, has no side effects, and is cheap. It's quite popular among the local farmers now.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Farmers from different areas buy the fertilizer from Tania. She also educates them on how to cultivate with this natural fertilizer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nazrul Islam, a farmer from Ambikapur village, said that the price of organic fertilizer is lower than that of chemical fertilizers in the market.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“As it doesn’t damage the soil, we have started using organic fertilizer. I am seeing good results. It also improves soil fertility,” the farmer observed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Zafar Khan, counselor of ward no.1 of the municipality, said “Tania had struggled a lot. We welcome her initiative. Five-six people are now working with her. She is contributing to alleviating poverty as well.”&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Faridpur Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Anwar Hossain said, “We have supported her in a number of ways. I occasionally visit her farm and offer advice. Following in her footsteps, many people have begun producing this organic fertilizer.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In nine upazilas of the district, at least 1,300 people — mostly women — are currently involved in the production of vermicompost, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Faridpur. Each year, they produce 151 tonnes of vermicompost. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>