The project has adopted state of the art technology to produce compost/bio-natural fertiliser from the organic components of the city solid waste.
The plant has the ability to process and convert 500 ton to 1000 tons of city solid wastes/per day into organic fertiliser with zero negative impact on environment. The machinery has been supplied by Menart a renowned Belgium Firm.
The project has multiple objectives of providing much needed organic fertiliser to consumers, contributing towards a better environment for citizens of Lahore, enabling technology transfer to our country, profitable operations to induce and encourage further investments, (local and foreign) in this critical field, and to provide much needed job opportunities.
Organic farming is a modern, natural and sustaining farming system, which maintains the long term fertility of the soil and uses less of the earth's finite resources to produce high quality nutritious food grains, vegetables as well as fruits.
The sector, though presently small in Pakistan, is likely to expand dramatically in the future, keeping in view the growing awareness of organically grown farm produce world-wide. In Pakistan, thousands of farmers have already been converted to this system, as a result of increased consumer awareness, and international/national demand for, organically grown products.
Compost, a product being produced by Lahore Compost (Pvt) Limited, is not a peal or soil. It is neither a chemical fertiliser nor manure but is distinctly different.
A mature compost is a complex organic material that has been transformed into stable humus by micro-organisms. It is created by combining organic waste ie yard trimming, food waste, manure in proper ratios in to files, rows or vessels under controlled, moisture and oxygen to achieve accelerated decomposition and allowing the finished material to fully stabilise and mature through a curing period of 2 to 3 months.
Compost, in other word, is an organic mixture of plant nutrients that are released slowly at a rate which is compatible with up take of the plant roots.
Benefits of "ZAMEEN DOST" a mature and finished compost: It is a well known fact that the soil of Pakistan is predominantly alkaline with pH of 7.5 or more. This soil is also characteristically low in organic matter. Soil testing results reveal that over 90% of the soil samples have less than 1% organic matter, whereas the requirement is 2% or more. Pakistan's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture.
With the population of the country growing at a rapid rate, there is increasing pressure on agriculture land for greater quantity of food. However, due to limited water availability, the possibility of bringing significant additional land under cultivation is remote.
Therefore, the requisite increase in agricultural output has to come through an increase in per acre yields. This means more use of inputs, among which traditionally fertiliser has been the most important and effective. Presently, it is around 140 kg per hector as against 108 kg in USA and 100 kg in India. Unfortunately, there has been an imbalance use of fertiliser with very high consumption of nitrogen vis-à-vis phosphorus potash and very little use of organic fertiliser.
This has resulted in an adverse effect on soil compaction and lowering of chemical fertiliser use efficiency. Research has shown that continuous use of organic/bio fertiliser can reduce toxicity in crops, improve physical condition of the soil, influence soil pH, increase organic matter, offset nutritional deficiencies of plants, increase the efficiency of chemical fertiliser and enhance agricultural productivity and reduce water requirements.
FEW OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS USEFUL PRODUCT ARE LISTED BELOW:
1. Enhances the soil structure, especially of fine structured clay and loamy clay soils.
2. Improves water holding capacity, drought tolerance and reduces water requirements.
3. Reduces the bulk density of soil.
4. Reduces soil compaction and crusting.
5. Increases chemical fertiliser use efficiency.
6. Reduces chemical fertiliser requirement (experiments at Institute of Soil and Environment Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad).
7. Improves nutrient holding capacity.
8. Increases eases of cultivation.
9. Improves root growth and yields.
10. Provides plant both macro nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash (NPK), along with a number of micro nutrients.
11. Increases microbial and earth worm population.
12. Protects plants from disease.
13. Degrades pesticides.
"ZAMEEN DOST", a product of Lahore Compost (Pvt) Ltd, will inshallah certainly help in meeting the well established need of organic fertiliser to our soil.