Manipur's 'waste to wealth' agripreneur builds green economy 

From composing film music to cultivating local herbs and producing tonnes of organic compost, Dina Oinam's journey is a remarkable story of resilience and rural innovation. A resident of Wangjing in Thoubal district, Dina is now a celebrated agripreneur known for his sustainable "waste to wealth" farming model.

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The seeds of his idea were sown in 2014-2015, when Dina began converting kitchen waste into vermicompost. What started as a personal environmental effort grew into an integrated farming system that combines vermiculture, agriculture and horticulture, all within a compact, optimised space.

"People often overlook waste, but there is significant demand for the valuable product once it's properly processed," Dina noted.

In 2018, he formally launched his venture. Today, his farm is a vibrant microcosm, cultivating over 100 varieties of indigenous herbs and vegetables, many of which possess ancestral medicinal value. Hanging pots of black ginger, a thriving grapevine and a poly-roof system that helps regulate temperature, all rest atop a vermiculture unit that generates nearly five tonnes of compost monthly.

Dina earns Rs 10-12 lakh annually from compost and an additional Rs 60,000-80,000 from grapes alone. With minimal input and maximum output, his model is both low-cost and high-impact.

Under his motto, "Rs 100 saved is Rs 100 earned," Dina has trained over 5,000 people. Around 80 continue working closely with him, earning an average of Rs 2,000 a day.

Chaoba Akoijam, one of the farmers trained by Dina, shared, "We require additional training, and it's essential for us to grasp the technical aspects. That's why we've informed our supervisor that we will study, and afterwards, we will achieve success as entrepreneurs." Encouraged by success, Dina now promotes the commercial cultivation of native plants like Peruk, Awa-phadigom, bamboo and lotus.

An Arts graduate from Delhi University's Ramjas College and a music composer, Dina's tune today plays in harmony with nature, a sustainable symphony of innovation and self-reliance.