Co-Compost Practising Farmers in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, India: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

Combining the human waste with the municipal waste would pave way to much needed solid waste management strategy in the urban areas. The co-compost produced out of this can be used successfully for crop production. The objective of this study is to detect the benefits and constraints faced by the farmers in applying the co-compost in the field. 50 farmers used as a sample for the co-compost developed by the Rural Development Organization (RDO), coonoor were taken for this study. To examine the objectives, a well-structured interview schedule was employed and data were obtained through personal interviews. Garret ranking and Percentage analysis were the tools used for the study. This study envisaged that seed germination and good plant growth with increased in quality of vegetables after using the co-compost. The study also found that weed growth and the price of the co-compost are found to be high by the farmers after using the co-compost. Respondents were optimistic about the innovation’s ability to become sustainable and scalable. The positive impact would largely influence food security, women accreditation, income advancement, and soil restoration for the entire region. The innovation also helped vegetable farmers by improving crop yield through the co-compost application, resulting in higher sale prices in the markets.