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5 QUESTIONS FOR HALEKA GIDEY HAGOS: THE WORM BUSINESS
Worm compost is the next level of compost - a kind of super fertilizer. The Ethiopian small farmer, Haleka Gidey Hagos, has been convinced of this since he visited a workshop of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture in the city of Axum in July 2015.
1. Mr. Hagos, what did you learn at the workshop on worm compost?
First I learnt what it is the worms do: They turn organic waste into high-quality black compost soil. Then we learned what sort of worms can be used for worm compost and how to build and populate a worm box. For example, we always have to make sure that the worms have enough to eat and that it is shady and remains moist in the worm box.
2. What is better about worm compost compared to other fertilizers?
If we only use mineral fertilizers, many problems arise. The earth gets worse, it essentially leaches out. We farmers in the village know how to make compost and achieve good results in our fields. Worm compost is even better, however, because it improves soil fertility. The effect lasts not only for one year, but for three, four, five years. It is also more concentrated and easier to transport.
3. Sounds good, but can it be checked?
I'm doing field trials. In one box, I use worm compost and in another I let my wheat or teff (Ethiopian grain) grow the same as before. For example, I fertilize only with animal manure and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. This comparison is also evaluated by agricultural researchers. And so, we do this with all new methods: There are field trials for better seed, for cultivation in rows, for new fertilizer mixtures and so on.
The effect lasts not only for one year, but for three, four, five year.
4. What do the worms eat?
Triple feed Tea and coffee grounds, the residues of vegetable leaves, for example, the outer lettuce leaves, and leaves from the Sesbania grandiflora. This is a tree that is planted around the fields as a shelter from wind and sun, as a cattle feed and for the improvement of the soil. In the beginning, I mixed in livestock manure, but not anymore - the manure goes directly into the field.
5. Are you the only one in the area who breeds worms?
We agreed that I would attend the workshop and teach the others. We are a community of fifty farmers from the community who have teamed up to try out something new. The worms, which I multiply, I distribute to up to ten farmers. I have already supplied seven of them - they distribute their worms to the others. In the end, every farmer should have his or her own worm compost.