Biogas has gained popularity among the Bhutanese farmers in the last few years due to the many benefits it has. But what is little known among the farmers is that it can be turned into a commercial product to earn some cash. To help them explore the potential, officials from the National Organic Programme are touring the country and meeting with the farmers. The team was in Sarpang Dzongkhag, recently.
Bio slurry is used as manure in the vegetable garden and field by the farmers. It is thick liquid that comes out of the biogas plant. It can be turned into a commercial product by making it into compost. The officials of the National Organic Programme demonstrated how to make the compost, which involves a simple procedure.
The compost is made using dried grass, green leaves water and bio slurry. First the dried grass is laid on the ground and water sprayed over it. The bio slurry is mixed with water and sprinkled over it. Fresh green leaves are chopped into small pieces.
It is then strewn over the dried grass and the bio slurry sprinkled over it once again. The mixture is covered with dried grass and water sprayed on to it and left to decompose.
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Jigme Wangchuk is the Agriculture Officer with the National Organic Programme. “Our main objective of the training is to make the farmers self-sufficient in manure and promote organic farming. In the future, if they manage to produce surplus, the group also has opportunity to sell it.”
And that is exactly what the farmers are planning.
“After we become self sufficient and if there is left over, we can form a group and after two or three years, we are planning to sell it,” said a farmer, Sonamla.
Another farmer, Nar Badhur Chhettri, also from Shompangkha, said in two-three years time, they are hoping to sell bags of compost to various dzongkhags.
Apart from making compost, the bio slurry can be used to control pests and diseases as well.
