"I am getting better results by using this compost", said nursery owner Zakia in the village, about 15 kilometres from the town.

It is very good for other crops as well. It is a good substitute for chemical fertiliser, which affects the soil after use for long and is very costly also, farmers said.

"I am using the fertiliser in my betel leaf field. It keeps betel leaves green and makes the stalk strong", said Abdul Awal.

"Use of urea and MP (murates of potash) in dry season from November to May had earlier turned betel leaves yellowish. They now remain green after I started using of vermicompot", he told this correspondent during a visit to his field.

Vegetable cultivator Ansar Ali said use of the organic fertiliser gave better results than chemical fertiliser. He produced tomato and cauliflower this winter.

The yield was better and the soil remained unharmed. The cost was almost one third of chemical fertiliser, he said.

"Use of vermicompost needs less irrigation because the soil can retain moisture", he added.

The fertiliser is not only environment friendly but also a deterrent to pest attack on croplands. It also increases taste of vegetables, some other users said.

It is becoming popular among farmers because anybody can produce it in the backyard.

At least 100 families in Khaserhat now produce the fertiliser commercially. After use in their fields, they sell it at Tk 5 per kilogram.

The production method is very simple. A heap of household waste, straw and shrubs mixed with cow dung is left in a damp and dark place for about seven days to rot. Some earthworms are then let loose on it. The earthworms eat the rotten wastes and release those.

After some days, heap is strewn and dried up is sun. The compost is ready for use.

"Vermicompost is more effective for all crops than chemical fertilisers and has no side effect", said Ahsan Anisur Rahman, Unit Manager of the Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES), an NGO which initiated the process in 2000 in Khaserhat.

So far, CMES has trained 50 youths who are now commercially producing the organic fertiliser.

"We use Amina Forna'a, special spices of earthworm, to produce the fertiliser", he added.

Over five tonnes of vermicompost are produced in the village every year. Farmers from other villages also collect it from CMES sales centre, Anis said.

Dr. Prof Wahid-Uz-Zaman, Vice Chancellor of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) who did some research work on vermicompost said, "This fertiliser has manifold benefits. It has no side effect like organic fertilisers".

Vermicompost increases crop yield because it increases Nitrogen content in soil. Experiments also showed that its use decreases pest attack, he said.