SHILLONG: Working quietly yet diligently and away from media glare is AK Mawlong who produces bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides under the brand name of LIBRA which stands for ‘living in a biologically resource arena.’
In a world that is swamped by chemical fertilisers and pesticides to the point where people’s health is affected, Mawlong’s fertilisers are a ray of hope for the farmers of Meghalaya. Mawlong started his research in 1999 and it was only in 2013 that his products were tested and approved by ICAR to be purely organic.
Mawlong was not always a producer of fertiliser. He first owned a quarry and was selling stone chips. Later he even owned a sawmill but gave up these businesses when he saw the destruction they were causing to Mother Nature.
That was when he experimented with the organic fertiliser business. His raw material constitutes in the main the forest leaves, roots, mulch and by-products of sugarcane which he mixes with other organic products.
When this correspondent visited the outlet at Upper Shillong, Mawlong demonstrated what ingredients are required to be mixed in order to produce fertilisers for vegetables and what special compost is needed to grow orchids.
“How much more chemicals can we push into our soil and spray our vegetables with, without nature fighting back? I have been thinking of this onslaught on our soil by fertilisers pumped in by companies from outside the state and I felt that I needed to reduce the use of these chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” Mawlong said, adding that now farmers know they are getting value for money.
He says it is also important for people in this state to try and become self reliant and for money to circulate within the state.
Mawlong employs between 6 – 9 casual labourers for the work. Last year LIBRA produced 60 tonnes of organic fertiliser which was shipped to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram.
“Unfortunately with the lockdown due to COVID we had to stop transporting our products to Nagaland and Mizoram because of the high transportation cost,” Mawlong said, adding that even the unprecedented heavy rains have disrupted the production cycle. Also with the lockdown, items that normally reach Shillong in 10 days now take 20 days and the transportation costs have gone up exponentially.
This entrepreneur is now in the process of experimenting with liquid organic manure which he says which provides the soil with all the nutrients needed in the required quantity.
The ever enterprising Mawlong had also invented a machine for making briquettes from sawdust and also vinegar from bamboo for which he was awarded by the National Innovation Foundation -India in 2017. The bamboo vinegar was sold at the Government of Meghalaya outlets.
LIBRA products are now available at different outlets in Shillong and the other districts of the state. They are now much sought after because of their organic certification. Those doing bulk purchases visit the LIBRA outlet cum storage at 5th Mile, Upper Shillong in the Agriculture Department premises.
