STRAWBERRY
- AGRICULTURE
News: Strawberry
farming making waves in tribal heartland of Odisha
What's in the news?
● The
strawberry harvest has triggered a celebration in the houses of 10 farmers who
live in one of the 56 villages in the tropical
deciduous forest of the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha.
● The
State government’s experiment with the fruit has yielded a good crop and an
even better fortune for those living in the Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Strawberry:
● Strawberry
(Fragaria sp.) is a native of temperate regions, but
varieties are available which can be cultivated in subtropical climate.
● The
strawberry is the most widely adapted of the small fruits.
Areas of Cultivation:
● In
India it is generally cultivated in the hills.
Its main centers of cultivation are Nainital (district) and Dehradun in Uttar
Pradesh, Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra), Kashmir Valley, Bangalore and Kalimpong
(West Bengal).
● In
recent years, strawberry is being cultivated successfully in plains of
Maharashtra around Pune, Nashik and Sangali towns.
○ Satara
district (Maharashtra) is famous for the country’s 80% strawberry production.
Production Statistics:
● China
is the largest strawberry producer in the world followed by the United States
of America.
● China
and the United States of America together produce 57% of World's total
strawberries.
Features:
● Strawberries
are rich in Vitamin C and iron. Some
varieties viz. Olympus, Hood & Shuksan having high flavour and bright red
colour are suitable for ice-cream making.
● Other
varieties like Midway, Midland, Cardinal, Hood, Redchief and Beauty are ideal
for processing.