Rani Chakraborty, Shikha Rani Chakravarty of Satkhira Kalwar, after overcoming various adversities, is now a successful woman entrepreneur producing vermi compost and earthworm compost fertilizer. Every month more than 100 tons of compost fertilizer is being produced from the farm made in the yard of his house, due to lack of money he is not able to increase the number of farms and the production of fertilizer is much less than the demand of the farmers in his area.

Due to the good soil fertility and crop production by using this organic fertilizer on the land in the last few years, the demand for organic fertilizers has increased considerably compared to the last 10 years. Shikha Rani Chakraborty started earthworm compost fertilizer production in 2009 with 3 Nandas or Charis. Now in the yard of his house there are 3 big houses and 25 small vermicomposting sheds in the sand cement and tin farm and 6 big houses are running trico compost fertilizer production. Women Entrepreneur This Shikha Rani Chakraborty’s farm has also got employment for three women workers.

Shikha Rani Chakraborty of Dhandiya village in Satkhira’s Kalawar told about these successes of women entrepreneurs.

Female entrepreneur Shikha Rani Chakraborty is the wife of expatriate Malaysian Mahan Kumar Chakraborty of Dhandiya Thakur Para village of Jayanagar Union in Kalaroa Upazila of Satkhira.

Shikha Rani Chakraborty said, with the financial support of the Netherlands Embassy, the Solidarity Network Asia successful project, development efforts and the advice of the Department of Agricultural Extension have acquired various development-oriented training in agriculture in good farming and safe crop production in the country and abroad. Due to the use of pesticides by the farmers of our country, they are destroying the quality of the soil on the one hand and affecting our health on the other hand. In order to prevent this, he started vermi compost and earthworm compost fertilizer production activities in three Chari from the year 2009 by dealing with the abusive talks of some people in the family. At first no one wanted to use this fertilizer, after several years we tried to convince the farmers by giving them free compost fertilizer in farming that it is a very good quality organic fertilizer in farming. Now the farmers of this region have understood that organic fertilizers are very effective instead of chemical fertilizers, now farmers from different parts of the upazila come and buy these organic fertilizers from me in cash. This is the success of the farmers of this area and the agriculture department. Farmers in the area are in demand for earthworm compost and vermicompost fertilizers but are unable to produce more due to lack of money. If the government and agriculture department or any NGO cooperate, then he can expand his farm, there will be employment for more men and women. Farmers can use organic fertilizers on demand instead of chemical fertilizers. This woman entrepreneur Shikha Rani Chakraborty has claimed that her initiative can play a big role in agriculture.

This woman entrepreneur Shikha Rani Chakraborty sells trico compost fertilizer at Tk 20 per kg. Earthworm compost is 12 taka per kg and if an NGO buys the earthworm produced by his farm, he sells it at 1500 taka per kg, and if a farmer or a woman entrepreneur buys it in the case of making a farm, he sells it at 1000 taka per kg. Every month Tare Farm earns 30 to 35 thousand rupees excluding almost all expenses.

Diseases of earthworm compost and vermicompost manure require proper care, these earthworms cannot tolerate extreme heat or extreme cold. Earthworms lay their eggs in monsoon and winter months and fertilizer production is highest from Phalgun to Ashad months. But care should be taken that rotten and smelly cow dung cannot be used in the preparation of leafy manure.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Abul Hossain Mia said, this woman entrepreneur Shikha Rani Chakraborty is working with a big role in the production of safe crops in agriculture. He received the Prime Minister’s Award in 2018 for his significant contribution to agriculture and also has several achievements at the upazila district divisional level. He has recently been named in the list of recipients of the AIP award from the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Bangladesh for his significant contribution to agriculture, which is now pending. But he will be given full support to succeed.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruli Biswas said that women are now far ahead in various development works of the society and they have acquired skills in various works including agricultural work. Shikha Rani, Akalima of Kalaroa and many other women won the award for their contribution in various fields. To make them more self-reliant they will be given full administrative support according to their needs. Through them, on the one hand, employment is being created for unemployed people, on the other hand, many are developing as entrepreneurs.