Stories

Thu, 30 Jul 2026

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 India wants to join the strawberry superpowers

Indian strawberry farmers rely on varieties imported from the US and Europe, but that could change.
Traditional Farming
* Sheetal Danavale and her husband have been farming strawberries for 20 years using traditional methods.
* They use coco-peat substrate to grow strawberries, which requires a lot of labor and medicine. Hydroponic Farming
* In 2017, they experimented with hydroponic strawberry farming, but a cyclone knocked down their setup.
* However, the experiment was successful in terms of yield and organic production. Innovative Farming Methods
* Krishan Bhilare's family has been farming strawberries for generations. They use a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) network to manage their farm.
* The FPO has installed towers that monitor weather conditions using AI, which helps farmers predict rain and delay spraying chemicals.
* They are also building vertical towers where strawberries can be grown on coco-peat substrate, five layers deep. Entrepreneurial Ventures
* Sheetal Danavale has started selling her strawberries directly to tourists through social media.
* By cutting out the middleman, she is able to make more profit and has become an influencer and entrepreneur. Investments in Farming Technology
* Krishan Bhilare's FPO network is planning to scale up their production by five times using vertical towers.
* Sodha Farms are investing in semi-open polyhouses that allow strawberries to grow year-round.
* They also use laboratory testing to measure exact nutrient uptake and adjust the water supply accordingly. Challenges
* Small farms like Sheetal's face significant challenges, including lack of capital and risk of crop failure.
* Large-scale investments in farming technology can be expensive and require a lot of expertise. Overall, the article highlights the innovative approaches being taken by strawberry farmers in Mahabaleshwar to improve yields, reduce costs, and make their farms more sustainable. However, it also raises important questions about access to capital, labor, and expertise for small-scale farmers.