Earning 3 to 4 lakhs per acre
60 farmers are doing farming
Raipur 24 February 2025: Strawberry cultivation is becoming popular in the cold areas of Chhattisgarh. Due to its delicious taste and medicinal value, it is eaten with great taste. Many farmers are cultivating it in Jashpur, Ambikapur, Balrampur area of the state. Strawberry is currently being consumed at the local level only. Farmers are constantly being attracted due to the benefits of its cultivation. An income of 3 to 4 lakhs can be earned by cultivating it in one acre of land. In Jashpur district, 25 farmers had started strawberry cultivation in 6 acres, now 33 farmers are cultivating strawberries in 42 acres. Strawberry plants of Winter Dawn species have been planted in Jashpur. These farmers are getting technical guidance and other assistance under the National Horticulture Mission, a scheme of the Horticulture Department. Farmers say that the quality of strawberries grown in Chhattisgarh is good and due to local production, traders are getting fresh fruits. Due to which they are getting good response. Under the FSPF scheme of NABARD, the REEDs organization had selected villages Sanna, Akrikana, Loro, Kopa, Laranga and Maina of Bagicha development block for strawberry cultivation.
In the year 2023, the production also improved and high quality strawberries were produced. In view of this, in the year 2024, the Horticulture Department linked the farmers with the production of strawberries and the farmers have also been supported by the department. About 60 farmers are cultivating strawberries under the supervision of Kisan Reads Sanstha. 8 to 9 times more profit than paddy Strawberry cultivation is many times more profitable than paddy. While paddy cultivation requires more soil fertility as well as more water and temperature, it can also be planted in normal land and normal irrigation for strawberries. While paddy cultivation requires more care, strawberry requires less care, only cold weather is required for it. While an income of about 50 thousand can be earned from paddy in one acre, strawberry cultivation can generate an income of 3 to 4 lakhs. In this way, 8-9 times more income is obtained from paddy. Strawberry cultivation can be done in the cold areas of Chhattisgarh. For this, the areas of Ambikapur, Korea, Balrampur, Surajpur, Jashpur of the state are suitable. It is not necessary for the land to be fertile. Jashpur farmer Shri Dhaneshwar Ram told that earlier he had some land which was not very fertile, it was like a barren land. He could hardly grow paddy in some quantity. When he got guidance from experts, he started cultivating fruits. He also got support from NABARD.
