Daringbadi: Strawberry, the juicy exotic fruit is now being cultivated in the hill station of Odisha, Daringbadi, dotted with pine forests and waterfalls, climatic conditions of Kandhamal offers a hospitable ground for the cultivation of strawberries, as the temperature is low and with the financial and technical support of concerned authorities, the tribal women are able to improve their livelihood and economic condition.
Initially, it is being carried out only on two acres of land on an experimental basis by the members of ‘Elizabeth Self Help Group’ of Greenbadi panchayat. The whole project is carried out under the leadership of BDO Gandgadhar Patra and the supervision of the block project manager of Odisha Livelihood Mission OLM Pintu Kumar Nayak.
Various government agencies have come forward to carry out this project. The officials of Watershed Mission and Soil Conservation Department helped in the preparation of the Land, the officials of Agriculture departemnet got the soil tested, and the Horticulture department provided the technical assistance.
The land for this cultivation was developed by spending aroud Rs 2 lakhs under the Mahatmea Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Odisha Livelihood Mission provided around Rs 5 lakhs for its smooth cultivation.
“The main advantage of growing strawberries is that it doesn’t have recurring expenses like other crops (turmeric, mustard, etc). Once cultivated, the strawberry plants will bear fruit for around a period of 5 years. And the demand for strawberries is also increasing which would help the women members to become economically strong,” according to Nayak.
In this project, the women were provided training and around 20,000 saplings of strawberries are planted on the two-acre land and drip irrigation method is used to cultivate them. It has turned out to be a successful venture and all of them have started giving fruits.
Moreover, the extended branches of the strawberry plants are sold as saplings which increase the income of the women farmers.
“The strawberry cultivation gives us more profits as compared to the cultivation of other crops. It is sold at a rate of Rs 500-600 per kg. It has gained popularity in this region and there is a growing demand for this fruit. Its jam and juices are also in great demand,” said a member of Elizabeth SHG.
With the initial project getting such great reviews, the target is to rope in more women SHGs in the region and make them economically independent by providing vital assistance and support for growing this exotic fruit.
