Ropar farmer shows the way, takes to strawberry cultivation

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, January 12

Progressive farmer Paramjeet Singh of nearby Nangal Abiana village has bucked the trend of wheat-paddy cycle and set out on a different path. He cultivates strawberry and claims to earn a profit of more than Rs3 lakh from one acre of crop.

“In 2014, I thought of increasing my agricultural income and bought strawberry plants from a Pune-based importer,” he says.

The next year, he started strawberry cultivation as a pilot project on one acre. After spending about Rs3 lakh on the crop, he earned more than Rs7 lakh within six months, even though nearly one quintal of strawberry was wasted every day for the lack of a fruit processing facility.

Buoyed by the success, he brought his entire land, 11 acres in size, under strawberry cultivation.

Strawberry is sown in October, while plucking of fruits starts in mid-January and continues till May 10.

Today, he is growing four varieties of strawberry — winter dawn, Sa, winterstar and camarosa — which are in high demand in Jalandhar and Chandigarh. From there, the fruit is supplied to luxury hotels in Shimla and New Delhi.

Paramjeet is poised to set up a strawberry processing unit to prepare its pulp.

Slowly and steadily, he diversified and started planting other exotic fruits such as avocado and dragon fruit. To augment his income, he grows ladyfingers in February between the rows of strawberry plants. “After May 10, the land is free till October for sowing of other crops,” Paramjeet says.

For avocado cultivation, he visited the Philippines a year ago to get its plants. The plants will start bearing fruit within two years. The idea of growing avocado took root when a doctor suggested avocado to his ailing relative for early recovery. “To get a suitable variety for the region, I first visited Malaysia and then Singapore. Finally, I landed in the Philippines to purchase 100 plants that cost me more than Rs1 lakh,” Paramjeet adds.

Reaping benefits

• In 2015, Paramjeet Singh started strawberry cultivation as a pilot project on one acre
• After spending about Rs3 lakh, he earned more than Rs7 lakh in six months
• Buoyed by the success, he brought his entire land, 11 acres in size, under strawberry cultivation
• Today, he grows four varieties of strawberry, which are in high demand in Jalandhar and Chandigarh
• Paramjeet is poised to set up a strawberry processing unit to prepare its pulp