- Strawberry cultivation in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli has generated significant income for farmers this year
- The crop was introduced as a trial by the agriculture department in a region affected by left-wing extremism
- About 50 farmers currently grow strawberries, with plans to expand cultivation in the coming years
For a region that was known for red terror, a new kind of red is now being celebrated in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli. Strawberries, unknown to the region so far, have brought joy to farmers as the crop this year has generated a bumper income.
Mulchera in Gadchiroli has hilly terrain, giving it a climate similar to Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra's famed hill station known for its strawberry produce.
Launched as an experiment by the district agriculture department to help farmers in a region emerging from Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the initiative has now gained traction, with more farmers adopting the crop. The strawberries grown here use a variety sourced from Rajnandgaon district in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
Explaining how strawberries emerged as a viable crop in the region, Taluka Agriculture Officer Vikas Patil said the initiative began as a small trial under a district development programme and has since delivered strong returns for the farmers.
"We started it on a trial basis under a development programme in the district. We have given it to 50 farmers, and it has become a success. We first got the idea in 2019, and we noticed that farmers in Rajnandgaon were growing strawberries despite the temperature being higher than what it is here. We did a little research and started encouraging farmers to grow it on a trial basis. We have realised strawberries can be grown here and we have chosen the winter down variety which can sustain in these temperatures," Patil told NDTV.
"Under the Maharashtra Government we have transformed the situation and the government believes in the financial growth of farmers. The farmers earn between one to one and a half lakh and compared to other crops it is much higher," he added.
Buoyed by the initial success, the local authorities are planning to support more farmers to grow strawberries. Authorities are advising farmers to adopt the crop, and they believe the emergence of strawberries as crops in Gadchiroli is a sign of the change that is now coming to the region.
Sharing his experience as one of the early adopters of strawberry cultivation in the region, farmer Deepak Kalidas Karmakar said the crop has delivered steady returns over the past few years, with growing interest among other farmers as well.
Karmakar told NDTV, "For three years, I have been growing strawberries and in the last two years it has been very good. I had a little less crop this time but still it did very well. The local authorities have helped. I have already sold strawberries worth Rs 50,000 this year."
He added, "I have started growing strawberries for the last two or three years and at least 50 farmers are growing strawberries this year. Next year, there will be more produce available as more farmers are likely to grow the crop. There is a good profit for farmers if they grow this."
For the farmers in Gadchiroli, the return of peace and normalcy has coincided with the arrival of the strawberry crop, and the red harvest is seen as a transformational moment. In the past farmers from the area constantly lived in fear and the Maoist influence made government support more difficult to access.
As Gadchiroli emerges from the shadow of insurgency and violence, its farmers are scripting their own future, with the state determined that government schemes reach the beneficiaries and Gadchiroli prospers.
