Strawberry Cultivation in Hilly Tracts of India Profitability and Sustainability Issues

By : Deepak Shah

Page No: 258-265

Abstract
Strawberry has significant demand from urban consumers due to its high source of vitamin, significant levels of mineral contents, ellagic acid, rich aroma, fabulous flavour, important dietary components etc. Though strawberry requires a significantly high cost of cultivation, the returns are equally high and one can expect as much as Rs 4.00 lakhs of net profit margin from one hectare of strawberry orchard under suitable climate and wellmanaged efficient cultivation practices. However, adverse climatic conditions and some emerging threats to its cultivation, viz. threats caused by diseases like mildew, leaf spot, leaf blight and other fungal attacks on leaf of strawberry plants—white spots on the leaves, and important pests of strawberry such as spider mites and cutworms, etc.—might adversely affect the cultivation of strawberry. One of the major weaknesses of strawberry is the shorter shelf life and higher rate of perishability. Lack of money management, plan for the future growth and realistic view followed by processing units with respect to the production of products are some of the causes of concerns raised by the farmers in the cultivation of strawberry. The study, nonetheless, reveals that by using plasticultural techniques like plastic mulching, plastic punnets etc., there is significant scope to revolutionalize high-density strawberry cultivation.

Author :
Deepak Shah : Faculty Member, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Deemed to be University), Deccan Gymkhana, Pune (Maharashtra), India.