The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) started the Gram Laxmi initiative in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat in 2011 to convert agricultural and animal waste into organic matter for use as agricultural fertilizer. Gram laxmi runs under mission mangalam -a  Government of Gujarat (GOG) livelihood and poverty alleviation programme. under the project, Gram Laxmi vermicomposting units are set up in villages and Self Help Groups of women are trained to run and manage these units. These women collect the agricultural and cattle waste from their fields/farms and treat it in the unit. Post treatment, they derive vermicompost from the unit which can replace chemical fertilizer and be used as manure during agriculture. This vermicompost is sold to farmers at nominal rates and also used for personal consumption on their farms.

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