As part of the Australian aid program to Nepal, a project has been funded that supports transfer of technologies in vermiculture [the growing of worms] to digest vegetable market wastes, and the pelletising of chicken dung.

Run by CQUniversity's Centre for Plant and Water Science (CPWS), the project is now moving into its second year, and Professor David Midmore was in Nepal recently reviewing progress in the research and development activities.

Prof Midmore (second from right) chats about a field trial studying pesticide residuals on earthworm activity

A day of presentations in Chitwan by the 11 students and some of the co-operators on their activities set the scene for a visit the next day to nearby experimental fields, poultry farms and waste management processing units.

 Overall the progress is very promising, on target, and feeds into plans to purchase a commercial pelletising unit from China, a 20 tonne-a-day vegetable waste facility in the main wholesale vegetable market in Kathmandu, and study of the processed waste as fertiliser for horticultural crops.

Professor Midmore says the project benefits from the high quality guidance afforded by the co-leader Professor Dhatta Dhakal of the Institute for Agriculture and Animal Science of Chitwan Nepal.

Professor Midmore, the CPWS Director, also visited the Head of Post Australian Agency for International Development and First Secretary Ben Reese at the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu, returning to Australia on March 13.

A student shows vermiliquer results 
Vermiculture is key to one of the projects 
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