Is Himachal Planning to become hub for strawberry cultivation in India?
You can have more strawberries this year, with or without cream. More Himachal Pradesh farmers are cultivating this fruit as it's fetching a good price. Early varieties of the pulpy red delicacy are already in the market. The fruit is reaching various cities of northern India including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Delhi and Dehradun.
"Successful commercial cultivation of strawberry in temperate areas of the state, especially in Sirmaur district, has encouraged us (the horticulture department) to promote the cultivation of this crop," he said.
"The strawberry crop in mid-hills of Sirmaur, Kangra and Solan districts is quite good. The heart of this activity is along a 15-km stretch from Paonta Sahib to Dhaula Kuan in Sirmaur district," district horticulture officer M.M. Sharma said.
He said the demand for strawberries grown in the Sirmaur areas was quite high in fruit processing units due to their natural tangy taste, colour and juiciness."Strawberries grown in this area (Sirmaur district) are always in high demand and enjoy a virtual monopoly in fruit processing units," he said.
"The major problem with strawberry is that it has a shelf life of 48 to 72 hours and has to be marketed fast. We prefer to sell the crop directly to the processing units or by selling it in the nearby markets," said Sunil Singh, another farmer.
"Since strawberry is a temperate fruit crop, it can be grown in sub-tropical regions. It's more profitable in the shortest possible time compared to other fruits. By adopting proper practices, eight to 10 tonnes of fruit can be had from an acre," Gurdev Singh said.
"Extreme climatic conditions can be countered by using modern greenhouses called polyhouses. Micro-sprinklers help in maintaining proper climatic conditions even during extreme summer," he said.
"Successful commercial cultivation of strawberry in temperate areas of the state, especially in Sirmaur district, has encouraged us (the horticulture department) to promote the cultivation of this crop," he said.
"The strawberry crop in mid-hills of Sirmaur, Kangra and Solan districts is quite good. The heart of this activity is along a 15-km stretch from Paonta Sahib to Dhaula Kuan in Sirmaur district," district horticulture officer M.M. Sharma said.
He said the demand for strawberries grown in the Sirmaur areas was quite high in fruit processing units due to their natural tangy taste, colour and juiciness."Strawberries grown in this area (Sirmaur district) are always in high demand and enjoy a virtual monopoly in fruit processing units," he said.
"The major problem with strawberry is that it has a shelf life of 48 to 72 hours and has to be marketed fast. We prefer to sell the crop directly to the processing units or by selling it in the nearby markets," said Sunil Singh, another farmer.
"Since strawberry is a temperate fruit crop, it can be grown in sub-tropical regions. It's more profitable in the shortest possible time compared to other fruits. By adopting proper practices, eight to 10 tonnes of fruit can be had from an acre," Gurdev Singh said.
"Extreme climatic conditions can be countered by using modern greenhouses called polyhouses. Micro-sprinklers help in maintaining proper climatic conditions even during extreme summer," he said.
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