The Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu is famous for its beautiful hill stations, vibrant scenic beauty and perfect weather. The place is also renowned for its agriculture. The fruits and vegetables that are grown in the Nilgiris are often sold at high prices. Vegetables like carrots, beetroots, cabbages, potatoes, and beans are grown in huge amounts in the Nilgiris. Recently, strawberry farming has also emerged and is increasing day by day.
Strawberries, once planted, can be harvested for near about ten months. The seedlings are usually brought from Pune. There are few places in the district where the seedlings are available. The agricultural land is tiled and proper beds are prepared for planting the seeds of strawberries. Then, the place is covered with plastic sheets. The irrigation is done by putting small pipes underneath the prepared beds.
Once the seedlings are planted in the prepared beds, they are watered daily or once in every two days, depending on the requirement. Like other crops, strawberry plants are also treated with fertilisers and pesticides to keep them away from pests and insects. If the plants are well maintained, they start bearing fruit in about 80 days. The farmers make a substantial profit due to the high demand among the consumers.
Talking about the cultivation of strawberries, a farmer said, “We have started strawberry farming as an alternative to the vegetables we usually grow here. The costs involved in strawberry farming are relatively higher than other crops. But the profit is quite high here which is why we shifted to strawberry farming. It is better to keep the plants protected by covering the overhead to keep them away from rain. Since we have just started, we are growing these without covers for now.”
“Strawberry seeds can be imported for cultivation but since we are trying this on a small scale now it is not easy to set up all the required facilities. It also requires funding since strawberry farming is an expensive process. As we are still in the early stages we cannot accurately predict the profits or losses yet,” he added.
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