Now strawberry is no longer a traveler from foreign lands. From the cool climes of Australia and France, it made its journey to Maharashtra in India during the British period. And now the red fruit has arrived in Odisha. Thanks to Odisha Government’s Mukhyamantri Krushi Udyog Yojana (MKUY), farmers in Odisha have been inspired to take up strawberry cultivation and a woman farmer, Mamata Tandi, has taken the lead in demonstrating a thriving crop in her maiden attempt at strawberry farming.
The farmers in the Mahabaleshwar region of Maharashtra did a wonderful job of cultivating strawberry quite extensively, and now, more than 3000 acres of land are producing juicy strawberries for consumption. And this has proved to be an inspiration for farmers in other states, including Odisha. The Horticulture Department of Odisha has taken a big step to promote strawberry farming in the state, encouraging farmers from both the coastal and interior regions to take up this cultivation. Several success stories are emerging and Mamata Tandi is one such bright example.
Hailing from the Gandamer Panchayat in Golamunda Block of Kalahandi district, Mamata, along with her husband Sadhu Charan, sustained their livelihood by cultivating traditional crops like paddy, green gram and maize. However, this did not yield much profit. Last year, she received strawberry saplings and technical guidance from the Horticulture Department and went on to plant them in 25 decimals of land. The yield and the profit were quite good, encouraging her to expand the cultivation in one acre of land, and also include beetroot, cabbage and capsicum. The yield this year has definitely been inspiring, making her a shining example in this field.
But Mamata Tandi’s success has been possible due to the incentive given by MKUY, to promote small scale farmers like her. Earlier, women farmers rarely received training, skill development opportunities, exposure visits, or access to bank loans. Even though they spent a great deal of time working in agriculture, they often did not receive recognition, respect, or encouragement. Now, under MKUY, women farmers receive a 50 percent subsidy. With easier access to loans and technical support, small farmers like Mamata are gaining the confidence to adopt new and profitable agricultural practices.
And, since this is the first time strawberries are being cultivated commercially in the area, many nearby farmers are visiting her farm to observe the crop. With proper irrigation facilities, the use of mulching techniques, and careful maintenance, the crop has grown well. Encouraged by the results, Mamata and her husband are now preparing to expand this type of farming on even more land in the future.