Strawberries are not only delicious to eat, but their flavor is also used in many ice creams. The strawberry fruit is very soft and very tasty. It is a fruit that grows in cold regions, but today, with the help of many technological advancements, it can be grown in any area. Strawberry farming is now included in profitable farming practices. It can be cultivated with and without the help of poly houses. Today, in this article, we will tell you how to do strawberry farming, how much it costs, and how to earn profit from it. That is, we will include all the information related to strawberry farming in this article so that you don’t have any confusion. Let’s read what strawberries are and how to cultivate them.
Strawberries Farming
Before learning about strawberry farming, it’s essential to know the different varieties available and which is the best. Regarding strawberry varieties, around 600 species have been identified so far. However, only a few are primarily used for cultivation, which we will discuss further.
Strawberry Varieties
Here, we will talk about 4 main strawberry varieties that you can use in your fields. If you are considering strawberry farming, you can plant the saplings of any of these varieties in your field. These varieties are as follows:
- Camarosa: This variety was developed in California and is one of the earliest fruit-bearing strawberry varieties. Its fruits are quite firm and have a very good taste. Plants of this variety live for a long time.
- Oso Grande: This variety was also developed in California. Its fruits are quite large but do not survive for long. However, if you want more fruit in a shorter period, you can plant this strawberry variety.
- Ofra: Developed in Israel, this variety can be cultivated early in the season, meaning it’s an early-season variety. Its fruits and aroma are excellent.
- Chandler: If you want very sweet and good fruit, look for strawberry plants of this variety. These plants are disease-resistant and are counted among long-fruiting plants. This variety is most widely grown in California.
How to Start a Strawberry Farming in India
Strawberry farming is mainly done in cold regions like Himachal Pradesh. However, with changing times and technology, you can now cultivate it in any region of India. Yes, you will have to put in a lot of effort and take care of many things to grow strawberries. Otherwise, this business can become risky for you. Below, we will explain what needs to be done for strawberry farming.
Get Your Field’s Soil Tested
The most suitable step for strawberry farming is to get your field’s soil tested because we need to know whether the plants we are bringing will grow in your field or not. For this, you will need to contact soil testing professionals and get your field’s soil tested. A temperature of 18 to 30 degrees Celsius is very necessary for strawberry cultivation.
Soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 is considered good for strawberry farming. If your field’s soil passes this test, you can easily grow strawberries. Additionally, if the field has sandy loam soil, your strawberry yield will double.
Cost and Profit in Strawberry Farming
If we talk about the cost of strawberry farming, the total cost for one acre can be around three to four lakh rupees. This includes the cost of plants, irrigation, polyhouse, and pesticides. If you cultivate on one acre, you can get a yield of about 15 lakh rupees from it.
Where to Buy Strawberry Plants
In India, strawberry plants are easily available in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab.
When to Plant Strawberry Plants
If you want to do strawberry farming, you can plant strawberry saplings in your field from September 10th to October 15th. This is a very perfect time to plant strawberry saplings.
Field Preparation Before Planting Strawberry Plants
Before planting strawberry plants in the field, you need to prepare your field as follows:
- Plow the field well three times in the first week of September.
- Add up to 75 tons of well-rotted manure to one acre of land.
- Potash and phosphorus can be mixed according to the soil test.
Beds for Strawberry Farming
- Should be raised 25 – 30 centimeters from the ground.
- Their width should be 100 to 130 centimeters.
- There should be a gap of 40 to 60 centimeters between two beds.
- Proper space should be made to install a drip irrigation system.
Irrigation of Strawberries
If you have planted strawberry plants and are not irrigating them properly, you may face problems. Therefore, you should use the correct irrigation method, which is as follows:
- Irrigate immediately after planting.
- Irrigate from time to time, keeping the moisture in mind.
- When strawberry fruits start to appear, irrigate with the help of micro-sprinklers.
- Once the fruits have set, use the drip irrigation method.
Protect Strawberry Plants from Diseases
Strawberries can be affected by various diseases such as leaf spot, powdery mildew, leaf blight, and rot. Therefore, identify the disease correctly and spray pesticides with the advice of an agricultural scientist.
Protect Strawberry Plants from Cold
As mentioned above, strawberry farming can be done with and without a polyhouse. If a polyhouse is already built, there are very few chances of the plants being affected by cold (frost). But if not, you should use plastic low tunnels to protect against frost. This plastic should be transparent and 100 to 200 microns thick.
Government Assistance for Strawberry Farming
As the Government of India is encouraging farmers to advance agriculture, you can get information by visiting the agriculture department in your state if you are doing strawberry farming. Almost all states provide subsidies of 40 to 60 percent. Contact the agriculture department for more information.
Harvesting Strawberry Fruits
The strawberry plant continuously bears fruit for 6-7 months. You can get about 700 to 800 grams of strawberries from one plant in a season. Now let’s talk about the correct method of picking them:
- You can pick the fruit when it starts to turn completely red.
- If you are sending them far away, you can pick them even before they turn completely red.
- If you pick a completely red fruit, it will be very good for you, but it spoils very quickly after being fully ripe.
- Do not pick all the fruits at once.
- The stem of the fruit should be cut; never touch the fruits with your hands.
Packing Strawberry Fruits
To keep strawberries in good condition, you should pack them in plastic trays. These should also have holes for air circulation so that the temperature can be controlled. If you are storing strawberries together, keep the temperature at 5 degrees Celsius for one day and 0 degrees Celsius for another day.
Where to Sell Strawberries and at What Price
Every year, every month, the prices of strawberries are increasing. Earlier, they used to sell for ₹200 per kg, but now they have gone up to ₹600. However, if you are farming, you can easily sell them for up to ₹300.
You don’t need to look for buyers; as soon as the fruits start, buyers will come to you. If buyers don’t come, you can easily sell them in your local market. It is a very high-selling fruit, and its health benefits are also very high.
Risks in Strawberry Farming
There is definitely a risk in any business, but if I talk about how much risk there is in strawberry farming, it depends on how you do this farming. If you want to do this farming with low risk, you can take the help of the government because the agriculture department will provide you with various types of insurance, etc. On the other hand, if you profit from it, you can earn ₹12 to ₹15 lakh by investing only ₹3 to ₹5 lakh.
If you want to make farming your business, you should definitely do strawberry farming. We have provided information on how this farming is done in this article. If you need any other information related to this farming, you can comment here. We will answer your questions soon.
FAQ
Q: How much does a strawberry plant cost us?
Ans: You will have to pay ₹3 to ₹15 per plant.
Q: For how many months does strawberry farming last?
Ans: For 7 to 8 months.
Q: How much land is required for its cultivation?
Ans: You can cultivate it on as much land as you want; you can start your business with just 15 plants as well.
Q: Where is it cultivated in India?
Ans: It has started being cultivated in states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir Valley, Maharashtra,, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi.
Q: How much can we earn after cultivating on one acre?
Ans: ₹4 to ₹6 lakh.
Q: How long does strawberry farming last?
Ans: It lasts for about 7 months, from September to April.