Alfred Fernandes
Sanguem: Come December, and the usually hidden, secluded hamlets of Netravali village in Sanguem spring to life, with hundreds of visitors milling around for a glimpse of the scenic strawberry farms, and to taste the vibrant berries straight from the plant.
The villagers residing in the hilly areas of Tudov and Verlem, located around 12 kilometres from Netravali, first attempted strawberry cultivation in the year 2013, after being introduced to strawberry farming by the Mineral Foundation of India.
However, their efforts did not yield the results they had hoped for, and the villagers all but abandoned their struggling strawberry fields for the next four years.
Incidentally, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had spoken about his dream to set up Netravali village as a model self-sustainable village, with a thrust on co-operative living. But after his death, his vision was forgotten, with noone to realise it.
In the year 2018, the development aspect of Netravali village was entrusted to the Atal Gram Development Agency, which once again set out to work with the farmers to rejuvenate the strawberry cultivation in the village.
The development agency sought expert guidance from a strawberry farmer, Rahul Bhilate from Mahableshwar, who visited the village in October that year. After studying the climate and soil conditions in the village, he provided the locals with the relevant advice and taught them the techniques involved in strawberry cultivation.
The agency even arranged a tour for the farmers to Mahableshwar and procured the best available saplings from Wai, Mahableshwar, for cultivation at Verlem and Tudov, which ultimately proved to be a game changer, said SubhashVelip, Chairman, Atal Gram Development Agency.
Since then, the villagers have worked efficiently and managed to turn their farms into a success, said Velip.
Strawberry cultivation at Tudov and Verlem villages was undertaken under a co-operative system and is run by Self Help Groups (SHGs), with a little over 100 families in the village dependant on strawberry farming for a living, said Laxmi Gaonkar, a local.
This year, a new group has started cultivation, increasing the number of self helpgroups involved in Strawberry farming to four, which is a good sign of development, claimed SubhashVelip.
To get maximum yield, the agency provides the farmers an exclusive drip irrigation system, in addition to saplings, which are procured from Mahabaleshwar.
“This year, the yield looks rewarding and the first batch of fruits will be available for sale in the first week of December,” said strawberry farmer Vidhya Gaonkar.
Strawberry farming accounts for an annual income of around Rs 10 to 11 lakh to the SHGs per season, said Velip. “It offers a fairly decent income to the villagers, who are otherwise solely dependent on cashew and paddy farming,” he added.
Presently, an area of around 5,000 sqmts of the village is under strawberry cultivation, and the same is likely to be increased in the coming years.
Unlike other farm produce, the strawberries produced in this village have a very good market. “Most of the yield is sold at the farm itself, to the visitors who come to tour the farms,” said Laxmi Gaonkar.
The season lasts around four months, and fresh strawberries are available till mid March. The farmers charge a nominal entry fee of Rs 10 per person to visit the farms, while those wishing to take saplings home are charged Rs 50 per sapling.