Farmers within the Banki dwelling in Cuttack district are reaping the benefits of strawberry cultivation, turning it correct into a lucrative source of earnings. By shifting from primitive paddy farming to strawberry cultivation, native farmers maintain vastly increased their earnings. The strawberries, radiant crimson and juicy, rival the taste of these grown in Maharashtra. Visually attractive and scrumptious, these berries maintain captured the dignity of shoppers.
The growing quiz for strawberries has reportedly impressed more farmers to undertake this sever, main to appreciable financial beneficial properties. This vogue is mainly visible in Pathapur Panchayat beneath the Damapada block within the district. Bright away from primitive paddy farming, farmers are exploring international fruit cultivation, unlocking original avenues for increased earnings.
“Acting on the advice of officials from the Horticulture Department, we started strawberry cultivation for the first time in the Banki area. The harvest has now begun, and the strawberries taste as good as those grown in Maharashtra. The Horticulture Department also advised us to follow organic farming practices, and we are cultivating the crop accordingly,” mentioned Santosh Kumar Nayak, a farmer.
Usually, Banki’s agriculture-pushed manufacture reaches numerous cities on the market. On the other hand, the profitability of strawberries on puny land has motivated many farmers to change to this cash sever. Within precise three months, the land yields fine quality strawberries. With a flavour comparable to Maharashtra’s berries, they skills stable quiz no longer handiest in native markets however additionally from inns and vacationers.
Strawberries from Banki maintain now carved a hassle in fundamental markets, at the side of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, setting up a original identity for the dwelling’s manufacture.
“People in our area have shown keen interest in strawberry farming because of its excellent taste and good market value. Although it requires hard work, the profit potential is high. We undertook the cultivation strictly as per the guidance of the Horticulture Department. The plants have already started bearing fruit, and the produce is now being sold in the market. The demand is so high that we are currently unable to meet the required supply,” mentioned Adwait Nayak, one other farmer.
With the toughen of the Horticulture Division, farmers maintain started cultivating strawberries and are now incomes twice as worthy as they did from paddy cultivation. Originally, the department supplied farmers with strawberry saplings and professional them on precise cultivation tactics.
Also Read: Odisha’s strawberry revolution: Tribal farmers rep original fortunes
For the fundamental time, strawberry farming used to be undertaken on an experimental foundation in Cuttack district, and it has already proven a success. Impressed by the outcomes, the department is persevering with its efforts to amplify this cultivation. When compared with primitive plants, strawberry farming is yielding three to four events increased earnings.
“Strawberry farming has been started on an experimental basis for the first time in the Cuttack district. Two farmers in the Damapada block have taken up strawberry cultivation on one and a half acres of land, while one farmer in the Banki block has started farming on one acre. Strawberry saplings were provided to the farmers free of cost by the government. The quality and taste of the strawberries grown in Banki are excellent and comparable to those produced in Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra,” mentioned Smrutirekha Das, Horticulture official of Damapada block.
