In a tale of reinvention and rural entrepreneurship, a Mohali farmer — once a personal assistant to the MD of a construction company — walked away from the stable job after 15 years to chase something more meaningful. After quitting his job, Dharminder (45) — fondly known as Laddi — turned to social media for new directions. “There was no financial freedom, and no freedom of the mind,” he says reflecting on his old job. As he surfed through social media, Dharminder — a resident of Mohali’s Tira village — discovered a training programme at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Mohali. The programme introduced him to animal farming, their products, processing of animal products and waste utilisation. “One topic during the training stood out — vermicomposting,” he recalls. “It was the only business that didn’t require lakhs of rupees.” While Laddi was mentored by Dr Shashi Pal at KVK, the former immersed himself in research — watching YouTube tutorials, visiting farms and experimenting hands-on. To understand the market before setting up his own production unit on rented land, he began by reselling vermicompost. He discovered that if done properly, vermicompost has huge potential, and went on to set up his farm in 2016 after quitting his job. With only a diploma in computer applications and an unfinished graduation, Dharminder then turned cow dung into a multi-crore opportunity. In 2016, Dharminder set up his own venture called Kudrat Organic Farm in Bad Majra village in Mohali. From just a couple of beds in 2016 to over 1,000 vermicompost beds today, his project produces more than 2,400 tonnes of compost annually and employs a full-time team of 10 and several part-time workers. “I initially invested just Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 to set up a couple of beds and multiplied them to 10 beds.” He informs that each bed can be harvested four times a year. The initial setup cost per bed ranges from Rs 7,500 to Rs 10,000, while subsequent cycles cost only Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. “Each bed, measuring 30x4 feet, requires about 30 kg of earthworms and 1,500 kg of cow dung. The earthworms break down the dung,” he explains. Before the dung is introduced into the beds, he says, it is washed and cured for 7–8 days to remove methane gas, which can harm the worms. Each bed produces approximately 600 kg of rich vermicompost over the course of 70 to 90 days, which is one cycle. And in every 80 to 90 days, the worms also naturally double in population. Through this vermiculture process, Laddi has expanded his setup by using these multiplied worms and by setting up more beds. In order to ensure quality, he says that the cow dung is sourced from reliable gaushalas. For his composting process, he uses one main worm species — Eisenia fetida (red wigglers), also called Australian earthworms — which double every 80–90 days, and can survive temperatures ranging from 0°C to 50° C. The process takes 70 to 90 days, converting the dung into rich, dark, earthy vermicompost, often called “black gold” by organic farmers. Laddi’s farm now produces around 2,400 tonnes of compost annually and about 122–123 tonnes of earthworms, of which 120 tonnes are reused internally in the beds, and the remaining two to three tonnes are sold annually. With the compost and the worms, he is generating over Rs 2 crore in revenue every year, with a profit margin of around 50% after expenses. Packaging varies from 1 kg to 50 kg, with smaller packets fetching higher per-kg prices. The bulk price of vermicompost ranges from Rs 6 to 10 per kg, while small packets are sold at ₹20 per kg. He compares vermicompost with chemical fertilisers and explains that chemical fertilisers cost around Rs 30,000 per acre annually. On other hand, three to four tonnes of vermicompost is required per acre in the first year, while transitioning from chemical to organic. Eventually, this requirement reduces to half a tonne by the fourth year, while significantly improving soil fertility with each cycle. Laddi says one of the biggest misconceptions is that organic farming yields less. But over time, it increases soil fertility because fields take time to recover from the effects of chemical farming. “Crops grown with vermicompost not only yield well but fetch three times the market price.” At the present time, almost all nurseries in the Tricity (Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula) are among his regular buyers.Demand has grown exponentially since the COVID-19 lockdown, which boosted awareness of organic and sustainable farming. “From selling in kilos to five to seven tonnes daily — it’s been a nine-year-old journey which is rewarding,” says Laddi. Today, he proudly shares that his trainees have set up over 10,000 vermicompost units across India — many of whom started with just one bed, like he once did. Many of his former trainees have gone on to build even larger setups than his — a point of pride, not envy. “Even Indians from countries like Canada, the US, Australia, and Europe have come to me for training,” says Laddi. “There are more than 20,000 farmers learning through my content on YouTube and other social media channels.” Now one of the most sought-after vermicompost trainers in India, Laddi is also invited by NGOs, educational institutions such as DAV Colleges, government colleges, private and government universities, and local schools for training sessions. He also provides certificates for internships and workshops he provides at his farm. “I was determined to teach every little thing to whosoever came to me.” He reveals that initially he visited some already established vermicompost farms for knowledge, but he was met with indifferent responses. With his business thriving, Laddi now plans to build a model organic farm, where crops will be grown only using vermicompost, and the farm will be open to visitors, students, and researchers. The aim is to provide hands-on learning and popularise organic farming among the next generation. His work has also earned him district level and at the GADVASU Kisan Mela awards. “The future of farming in India may well lie in looking back to the earth — and working with it, not against it,” he says, adding that people are now interested in opening our franchise. “I didn’t even know what vermicompost was in 2016,” he smiles. “More importantly, I’ve built something my whole family is proud to be part of.”
