By Nabin Sishir BK, Baglung, Dec. 28: A youth from Rangkhani Pahi, Jaimini Municipality-10, Baglung, has been making an ample income by selling earthworms.

Kedar Acharya, 36, of Rangkhani Pahi, who returned to Nepal after pouring his sweat in the Gulf for about six years, joined the production sector of the country clearing bush-ridden fallow land so as to initiate earthworm production.

Seeing the commercial earthworm cultivation on YouTube, Acharya also got attracted to the business module and started his own commercial earthworm production in Baglung.

Acharya has been so successful in his business that he had been making Rs.150,00 rupees a year for the last three years.

Acharya, who started the earthworm production three years ago, sold one quintal of earthworm last year alone.

Last year, I made an income of one lakh and fifty thousand rupees by selling earthworm, this year also, there is preparation to sell one quintal earthworm, said Acharya.

Acharya said that there was a high demand for earthworms from Myagdi district and added that earthworms were highly used in making compost manure.

Initially, he used to sell earthworms by taking them to Pokhara.

Due to its capacity for high water absorption, reduction in soil erosion, and as earthworms help plants obtain micronutrients easily, and as they boost production despite a small amount of manure the field, farmers have lately started to make its demand.

Along with this, earthworms are sold for ducks, chickens, and fish feed.

Acharya, who spent six years abroad - three years in Malaysia and three years in Dubai- has run an 'Acharya Organic Model Agriculture Farm' in the village.

The farm also has a cardamom, mushroom, orange, kiwi, and tea nursery.

Similarly, he has planted cardamom in 20 ropani of land and earns an annual income of 4 lakh rupees.

Acharya, who has been cultivating cardamom for five years, still has one lakh cardamom seedlings on his farm.

He said that he earns 250,000 rupees from vegetables and mushrooms.

Acharya said he had invested 1.8 million in agriculture in the last five years and that he makes about a million annually from his agriculture business.