Can You Really Make Money Raising Earthworms? Analysis of Earthworm Farming Benefits and Prospects

The farming method for earthworms is very simple, and since their requirements for food and environment are not high, they can be farmed anywhere in our country, and earthworms have high economic value. Besides being used as animal feed, they can also be used to make medicine. Most importantly, the cost of earthworm farming is not high, and farming can be developed indoors or outdoors anywhere there is soil. Below, let us take a look together at whether raising earthworms can really make money!

Can You Really Make Money Raising Earthworms?

Raising Earthworms Can Make Money. Earthworms have a very wide range of uses. Fresh earthworms are mainly used for fishing supplies, animal extracts, agricultural and sideline product processing, animal medicinal materials, fishing equipment, and other aspects, at 15 to 30 yuan per kilogram, in short supply, and there is never worry about sales. And even earthworm droppings can be turned into money. The droppings excreted by earthworms contain a large number of beneficial microbial flora and two kinds of antagonistic microorganisms, and each ton can sell for 200 to 400 yuan. At the same time, dried earthworms have extremely high medicinal value, with a market price reaching 80 to 170 yuan/kg.

How Much Investment Does Raising Earthworms Require?

1. Bait material (cow dung, pig manure, chicken manure, spent mushroom substrate are all acceptable) 100 cubic meters, at 20 yuan per cubic meter, totaling 2000 yuan.

2. Self-bred worm stock 100 kg, calculated at a cost of 20 yuan per kg, totaling 2000 yuan.

3. Land occupation fee for 1 mu, at 600 yuan per mu, totaling 600 yuan.

4. Water, electricity and tools totaling 500 yuan.

5. Raising one mu of earthworms requires an investment of 5100 yuan.

How Much Can You Earn Raising Earthworms?

1. Earthworms: generally the annual yield per mu of fresh earthworms is 2 to 3 tons, with the high reaching 5 tons. Calculated at the lowest 2 tons, the current market price is above 10000 yuan per ton. Calculated at the lowest 10000 yuan per ton, the income can be 20000 yuan.

2. Worm castings: 40 tons, at 150 yuan per ton, totaling 6000 yuan.

3. Total: raising one mu of earthworms can bring an income of 26000 yuan.

4. Profit: 26000 yuan - 5100 yuan = 20900 yuan. If workers are hired to carry out large-scale farming, workers' wages also need to be paid.

Extension: Earthworm Farming Techniques

1. Feed formula: cow dung 50%, paper pulp sludge 50%, or cow dung 100%, or all poultry and livestock manure mixed 100%, or cow dung, pig manure and chicken manure 20% each plus rice straw scraps 40%. Chicken manure must first be used to raise maggots or be left to sit for more than 1 year before it can be used to raise earthworms, otherwise all the earthworms will escape or die.

2. Feed fermentation: first spread a layer of dry material 10 to 15 cm thick using rice straw and stalks, then spread 4 to 6 cm of manure material, repeating for 3 to 5 layers, spraying water on each layer until the water seeps out. In seasons with higher temperatures, turn it once every 7 days. Generally, turning 3 to 5 times completes the feed fermentation work.

3. Feed preparation: after the earthworm feed is well fermented, test the PH value. Generally, the suitable PH value is required to be 6 to 7.5, but the PH value of many animal and plant wastes is often higher or lower than this value. When the PH exceeds 9, acetic acid, table salt or citric acid can be used as a buffer.

4. Farming density: for raising earthworms with cow dung, the number of breeder earthworms should be controlled within 10000 per square meter, the production worm group should be 3 kg per square meter (20000 to 31000 worms), the early-stage young worms should be 30000 per square meter, and later reduced to 20000.

5. Timely supplementary feeding: usually in about 20 days the earthworms can turn all the cow dung into earthworm castings. When supplementing feed, new material can be spread over the original feed. Determine the amount of feed added according to the earthworms' food intake. The feed should be spread evenly, and rice straw should be added, with frequent watering to keep it moist.

6. Reasonable watering: to ensure the normal growth of earthworms, especially in summer, water at least once a day. The water must not be polluted, and the water flow should not be too large. It must be watered thoroughly so that the upper and lower layers of material connect. It is best to water in the morning or evening when the temperature is lower.