A 'berry' good crop flourishing in Dharwad
KALAGHATAGI, DHARWAD: It's a ‘forbidden fruit’ in India, so to speak. Simply put, the tropical climate is not conducive to grow the red, succulent strawberries. But this very American fruit is now growing in the backyard of Dharwad district.
A progressive farmer in the district has shown that strawberries, which need temperate climate, can also be grown in hot places. Come winters, the strawberries start occupying the shelves at fruit stalls. But Shashidhar Chikkappa Goravar, 44, has grown tonnes of organic strawberries even before the arrival of winters.
He is in for a second rich harvest at his large farm in Hullambi village in Kalaghatagi taluk. Currently he has an order for 3,000 kg from a Bengaluru-based company and he along with his labourers and family members is busy working at the farm. The visually arresting farm, thanks to its green foliage and rich red-coloured fruit, is spread over 1.5 acres, where Shashidhar has grown close to 30,000 strawberry plants.
About 30 tonnes of strawberries can be harvested from a one-acre plot. Today export companies are queuing up at his farm and he has received orders from Kochi in Kerala and Maldives. Just a year ago when Shashidhar decided to become a farmer, he had no idea that he may face many hurdles. In fact the local agricultural and horticultural officials had told him that he won’t be able to grow strawberries in a hot district like Dharwad.
There are no examples of farmers benefitting from growing strawberries anywhere in Karnataka. But Shashidhar did not lose hope. Before opting for farming, he has worked in the construction industry in Maharashtra. For many years he has built buildings and houses in Mahabaleshwar which is well known for strawberry cultivation. He underwent training for a year at the farms of Mahabaleshwar and studied about growing organic strawberry. He contacted strawberry farmers in California and also got in touch with farmers in Israel to procure organic plant stimulants and organic fertilizers. “I procured about 250 mother plants of strawberry from California through an agent in Mahabaleshwar. I started growing the plants here about six months ago.
Due to heavy rains we lost some of the harvest but the plants were not damaged as much as the harvest. We started planting multiple plants of strawberries produced from the mother plants. Today we have close to 30,000 plants,” says Shashidhar. Currently Shashidhar is growing four varieties, including Sweet Sensations and Nabia. He has also grown raspberries and is expecting the harvest by next year. He has plans to grow mulberries and gooseberries.
I have earmarked about a half acre plot for growing mulberries. “No farmer around here has tried growing these fruits which yield good price in the market and they can also be exported. But growing strawberries requires a lot of hard work and every individual plant seeks the grower’s attention. Every day the plants must be cleaned so that the harvest is not harmed. The dry leaves must be cleared on a daily basis. The plant stimulants and other medicines if required are given through the water. We use drip-irrigation method here to feed the plants,” explains Shashidhar. Shashidhar has been practising the organic way to grow strawberries which is fetching him good money. In fact there are reports that strawberries that arrive from Mahabaleshwar have traces of chemical fertilizers. Shashidhar has developed vermicompost at his farm and the manure is used for all the plants. He plans to spread his knowledge about growing berries to other farmers.
He is planning training camps for farmers who are interested in growing this fruit. “Now that I have proved that we can have a rich harvest by growing strawberries, I want to popularise it so that many farmers can be benefited. The local governments must encourage unique farming practices and involve more farmers to uplift their status,” he feels. “Anybody can grow and harvest strawberries. It can be done even in a small plot. Two members of the family are enough to begin a small plantation,” says Shashidhar. “The cultivation season begins post-monsoon and ends around February. The first set of plants are planted in August and second set in November and accordingly the harvest is plucked,” he says. “But what we need locally is strawberry processing units.
Nearly 30% of the harvest that can be used in jam making and ice cream is now going waste as we don’t have these units. The top quality berries are plucked and filled in boxes. There is nobody in Dharwad to manufacture the crates for me. I am still dependent on Mahabaleshwar for packing materials,” he says. “We are hoping for a rich harvest as there has been no rain in the last one month. The weather is getting cold day by day and it’s considered the right time for a large harvest. This type of farming is something new for us and for our village.
But after working here, we are keen to know new types of farming and growing berries,” says Lokesh Kumar, a farming assistant from Kalaghatagi. “It’s a great feeling to have strawberries at home almost every day. We treat guests with platefuls of the fruit. We also make juice. We help on the farm. It’s a great feeling to see the large berries on the ground during the harvest time,” says Jyoti, Shashidhar’s wife.
You too can become a strawberry farmer
According to Shashidhar Goravar, strawberries can be grown in semi-dry landscapes such as Dharwad, Belagavi, Haveri, Uttara Kannada and other Ghat districts of Karnataka
One can begin farming in a small plot of 30x40 sqft where 500 strawberry plants can be grown and good harvest can be reaped
Drip irrigation is the best method to keep the berry plants cool and moist
August and October are the two months when planting is done. After two months the plants start giving yield
App-based fruit delivery companies need fresh farm produce and there is great demand for berries in most parts of India
Organic way of growing berries also fetches good money
Shashidhar plans to begin a training institute to popularise berry farming in parts of Dharwad and surroundings
ROSE FAMILY
The strawberry is a member of the rose family, with the most common varieties being a hybrid of the wild Virginia strawberry (native to North America) and a Chilean variety. The plant produces succulent, red, conical fruit from tiny white flowers, and sends out runners to propagate.