Karad: Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani are known not only as popular tourist destinations but also as a major hub for strawberry cultivation. With the rains now easing, farmers in the region have started preparations for the new strawberry season.
Farmers are hopeful of a good crop this year following satisfactory rainfall and favourable weather conditions. However, a severe shortage of labour during the planting season, rising daily wages, increasing prices of fertilisers and pesticides, and the higher cost of imported strawberry saplings have become major concerns.
In Mahabaleshwar taluka, farmers in Panchgani, Bhilar, Rajpuri, Khingar, Ambral, Danawali, Kaswand, Bhose, Pangari, Avakali, Gureghar and Metgutad are busy ploughing their fields, preparing beds, spreading mulching paper, installing drip irrigation systems and applying manure.
Strawberry saplings are also being produced on a large scale in neighbouring Wai and Jawali talukas and brought to different villages in Mahabaleshwar for planting. Farmers need to complete the planting on time so that the crop is ready during the peak tourist season. They are therefore trying to speed up the work with whatever labour is available.
However, planting activities are taking place across the region at the same time, resulting in a severe shortage of workers. Demand for labour has also increased in Wai and Jawali, where workers are involved in producing strawberry saplings. This has made it difficult for farmers in Mahabaleshwar to find workers.
As a result, farmers are being forced to pay higher wages and, in some cases, bring workers from other districts. This has further increased the cost of cultivation.
To obtain better-quality and higher yields, farmers import mother plants of different strawberry varieties from abroad and use them to produce saplings in areas with lower rainfall. If the saplings are planted on time, the fruit becomes ready for sale during the main tourist season, helping farmers get better returns. However, the rising cost of imported plants, fertilisers, pesticides and mulching paper, along with higher labour expenses, is making strawberry cultivation increasingly expensive.
Strawberries are an important part of the tourism economy of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani. Hundreds of stalls come up along the Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani road during the season. Tourists have a strong demand for fresh strawberries as well as products such as jam, jelly, ice cream and strawberry with cream.
“Currently, saplings produced from imported mother plants are being used for cultivation. If planting is completed on time, farmers can benefit from the tourist season and improve their earnings. However, the rise in sapling prices, fertiliser costs and labour expenses has put farmers under pressure. There is also a major shortage of labour during the planting period, and the concern is how to address this problem,” a farmer said.
A good strawberry season would therefore benefit not only farmers but also local vendors, hotels and other businesses dependent on tourism in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani.
