Aligarh: The rotten potatoes kept in the cold storage of Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh will neither be thrown nor buried in pits. Now organic fertilizer will be prepared from these potatoes, which will give double benefit to the farmers – firstly, they will get fertilizer at a low price, and secondly, this fertilizer will also prove beneficial for their crops. The order for this new initiative has been given using the Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department of the Dominion, B.L. Meena, to all of the District Magistrates and District Horticulture Officers.
What is Organic Fertilizer?
Organic fertilizer is the fertilizer that is ready from organic resources, consisting of rotten end products and vegetables, cow dung, leaves, and so forth. No chemical substance is brought to it, so it increases the fertility of the soil as well as protects the surroundings.
Status of cold storage in Aligarh
There are approximately 118 private cold storages in Aligarh district, out of which potatoes and end products are saved in 114 storages. About 12. Five lakh metric tonnes of potatoes are saved in those bloodless storages each year. But approximately 1 to 2 percent of these potatoes get spoiled, that is, about 12,500 to twenty-five 000 metric tonnes of potatoes rot every year.
Earlier these rotten potatoes were either thrown on the roadside or buried by digging a pit. This method not only affected the metals and chemicals present in the soil, but also polluted the groundwater. Therefore, now the government has banned this method.
Now compost fertilizer will be made
District Horticulture Officer Shivani Tomar said that now cold storage operators are being motivated to make fertilizer in a scientific way. For this, they can make a pit behind the cold storage, in which rotten potatoes and vegetables will be put. Compost manure will be prepared by leaving them in open air for a few days and by some processes (like mixing soil, cow dung, dry leaves).
Chopped potatoes can be sent to cow shelters
Apart from this, another suggestion has also been given that the potatoes which are not completely spoiled should be cut and sent to nearby cow shelters, so that they can be used as food for the cows living there. This will also contribute to animal welfare in a way.
Farmers will get big benefits
Shivani Tomar told that there will be two main benefits from this whole process:
- Cheap manure will be available – This manure will be much cheaper than the expensive chemical manure available in the market, because it will be prepared locally.
- Soil quality will improve – Organic manure increases soil moisture, number of bacteria and nutrients, which improves crop yield.
- This compost can be used in all types of crops – be it wheat, paddy, vegetables or horticultural crops.
Easy process: Anyone can start
- The process of making organic compost is very simple:
- Make a 6-8 feet deep pit.
- Put rotten potatoes, greens, leaves and cow dung in it
- Keep turning the pit from time to time so that oxygen is available.
- The compost will be ready in about 40-50 days.
- Interested farmers can also adopt this method in their fields and prepare compost at home.
Monitoring and training at government level
The government has given the responsibility to the District Horticulture Officers to monitor this process in all the districts. Also, the operators have been advised to take guidance from subject experts so that the process of preparing compost is done properly and the quality is also maintained.
Conclusion’
Making compost from rotten potatoes is not just an environmental solution, but it is also economically, biologically and socially beneficial. This initiative is a great example of ‘Waste to Wealth’, where useful products are made from waste-worthy things. It is hoped that this initiative of Aligarh will be adopted in other districts as well, so that farmers of the entire state can benefit.
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