Organic fish manure ‘Fishlizer’ by women entrepreneurs to boost kitchen gardening

Organic fish manure ‘Fishlizer’ by women entrepreneurs to boost kitchen gardening.

Organic fish manure developed by a team of two women entrepreneurs trained by Ernakulam Krishi Vigyan Kendra is set to hit the market under the brand ‘Fishlizer.’

Two housewives, Sini Sha from Cherai and Ivy Jose from Munambam, founded their own businesses, Lachoos Malsyavalam, and Ivees Agro Hub, respectively, using KVK’s technology to produce organic manure from fish market waste.

Also Read | KVK technology to clean harvested banana plants, nurture soil’s bio-fertility.

The initiative is the result of a series of training programs offered by the KVK to encourage startups to produce manure on a commercial scale. According to Shinoj Subramanian, the KVK’s Head, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, which is part of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra provides technical assistance to women in order for them to produce manure and market it.

‘To ensure the quality of the product, the KVK team will visit the start-up units on a regular basis for monitoring and guiding,’ he said. The women will initially sell the product through post and online delivery services.

Nutrient-rich organic manure

According to Subramanian, manure is one of the best options for crops, particularly vegetables, to increase productivity because it is created by combining fish wastes with coco peat and converting it into organic manure using a microbial mix.

‘In addition to nutrients, this fish fertilizer produced through aerobic composting contains a high concentration of microbes that are extremely beneficial to the soil.’ The manure will not stink because it was created using a microbial mix. ‘Nutrients in fish can be fully utilized because the coco peat in the product prevents leaching by absorbing water content in fish,’ said P Sreeletha, Subject Matter Specialist at KVK.

Less cowdung dependency

Shinoj Subramannian said that fish manure treatment would reduce the use of cow dung powder and compost in kitchen gardening because marine fish contains higher levels of nitrogen and microbial elements, which would enhance vegetable growth.

Also Read | Zero-budget natural farming largely relies on replacing chemical pesticides and fertilizers with concoctions made from indigenous cow dung and urine.

The organic manure made from fish waste was created in ways that align with the central government’s Swachh Bharat campaign. A one-kilogram packet costs ₹60.