FOM is superior to compost as it stimulates root development and promotes plant growth
Sampurn Agri Ventures Pvt Ltd (SJVPL) had so far been marketing FOM and its other crop/plant supporting products to farmers
Into promoting sustainable agriculture, converting paddy straw waste to compressed biogas (CBG), company has announced expansion of its area of operation with the signing of an MoU with a federation of 50 farmer producer organisations (FPOs)
If you are a kitchen gardening enthusiast and using cow dunk or compost as manure, you might like to look at an alternative organic manure that is more potent and cost effective, the use of which can potentially lift your experience and satisfaction to a new level.
Sampurn Agri Ventures Pvt Ltd (SJVPL), with its mission to promote sustainable agriculture, has begun marketing of its high quality chemical free Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) for urban kitchen gardening. FOM is a byproduct of converting paddy straw waste (stubble) into compressed biogas (CBG) which can further be used to generate power.
The company, which boasts of having set up the first of its kind in the world manufacturing facility to produce FOM from paddy stray waste in Fazilka, Punjab in 2017, had so far been selling this manure and other products for boosting the productivity of crops to farmers, from whom they are procuring the waste raw material.
FOM, the company claims, is a far superior quality manure as compared to unprocessed manure since it is hygienic, sterilised and has compatible soil microbes to support plants. It is also more economical since one kg of FOM is claimed to be equivalent to five kg of compost. A five kg pack of FOM (equivalent to 25 kg of compost, as per company claim) costs just Rs 100.
Rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, just as compost is, FOM additionally contains micronutrients, vitamins, and amino acids, along with plant growth-promoting substances like indole acetic acid (IAA) and gibberelic acid (GA). FOM stimulates root development and promotes plant growth.
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This assertion was made by Sanjeev Nagpal, Managing Director, Sampurn Agri Ventures (Corporate Office: Elante Office Building, Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh), while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday to announce signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a federation of 50 farmer producer organisations (FPOs), Northern Farmers Mega FPO (NFMF), to expand its operational area for giving value to farmers for their paddy straw waste.
NFMF has 12,000-plus associated farmers covering over 25,000 acres of land in more than 250 villages of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and nearby areas of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand.
Addressing the media Sanjeev Nagpal said, “The transformative partnership aims to address pressing challenges in North India, including air pollution being caused by stubble burning, deteriorating soil health, and declining agricultural productivity, while fostering climate resilience and economic empowerment in the farm sector.”
He claimed that Punjab alone produces 50 million tons of crop residue annually, 70% of which is either burnt or wasted, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and soil degradation. The largest greenhouse gas emission is coming from the agriculture sector – mainly from biomass residue and composting of biomass. This produces methane gas which is 20 times more harmful as compared to CO2, he maintained.
Nagpal further said, “One of the most important steps required to mitigate global warming is safe handling of biodegradable biomass and processing this for making Compressed Biogas (CBG) and FOM.”
According to Ajay Malik, Director, NFMF, “Farmers stand to gain from this arrangement as they will get value for the paddy straw which will be used for manufacturing FOM. In the long run farmers through use of FOM can minimize the use of urea and DAP, thereby lowering their input costs. This model is also slated to improve the quality of agricultural produce.”
Shedding light on the importance of using FOM, Dr Neha Sharma, Principal Scientist, SAVPL, said, “Stubble burning is causing loss of ‘soluble silica’ in the soil, which in turn is leading to silica deficiency in humans as they consume crops produced in silica deficient soil. This reduces their immune response towards viruses and pathogens. Agriculture based on the use of FOM produces silica-rich agricultural produce which in turn makes humans healthier.”
SAVPL has associated with organic farming expert Komal Jaiswal, founder of ‘Greenaffair’ to further promote sustainable agriculture. “As part of this association, we are training housewives on sustainable kitchen gardening techniques,” she shared.
