Over a short span of four years, strawberry cultivation has surged in upper Sindh’s katcha area thanks to the favourable climatic condition and soil of this region. From 76 hectares in 2009-10, the area under strawberry has significantly increased to 236.437 hectares in 2013-14.
According to a researcher, the plant needs sunlight and cold night between October when its sowing starts and January when crop is ready for marketing. It is mainly being grown in Khairpur and Sukkur though some cultivation was done in barrage areas but with lower yields.
From 270 metric tonnes, according to Sindh agriculture department, strawberry’s production is estimated to go up to 1,752 metric tonnes this season. The fruit’s marketing is continuing in April.
The crop is highly profitable if proper nutrients are ensured for the plant. The plants are brought from Swat and per acre yield in Sindh is estimated around 8,000 packets of 450 gram each in one season. A plant’s cost varies between Rs1.25 to Rs1.50 while a grower has prospects of getting between Rs200,000-250,000 excluding cost of production in multiple numbers of picking.
On an averge,, a 450 gram packet is sold at Rs60. Initially, a packet of this weight fetched as high a price as Rs250. But when its arrival in market picked up pace, the price fell to Rs150, Rs80 and then up to Rs50 per packet at the fag end of the season.. The per acre cost of production with proper nutrient comes to around Rs150,000 including cost of DAP, urea, potassium and pumping of subsoil water in katcha area through tube-wells.
It is easily sold in the markets of Sukkur, Karachi and Hyderabad. The farmers get payments in advance at the time of sowing from buyers who are keen to ensure uninterrupted supplies. A small strawberry grower from Khairpur’s Baharo area, Javed Ali says rotates cultivation of fruit from one piece of land to other every year. “We sow it on new piece of land every year or grow wheat on the same land for one year. This is necessary for better productivity of strawberry”, he says and confirms that income from crop is good if the crop is managed well.
Nabi Bux Jamro, an agriculture chemist of Quaid-e-Avam Agriculture Research Institute, has conducted research on strawberry cultivation in different areas including in lands under command of barrages. Katcha area with concentration of clay, sand and silt suits its cultivation best, he says.
He adds that the soil which has capacity of holding water in upper surface, helps salts leach down, favourable for its production. He points out that climatic conditions in lower Sindh region’s katcha area does not suit its production. “I have seen its trials in Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan but that didn’t work out as a good commercial proposition. Its cultivation is beneficial for farmers up to Dadu’s katcha area where weather patterns remain same as that of Khairpur district”, he informs.
Strawberry plant is sown on ridges in a way that it faces sunlight and needs back-to-back supplies of water. Safely, 40,000 to 50,000 plants are sown on an acre. The plants need water every third day for 26 to 30 days after sowing. Then onwards every week ( after a fortnight) and subsequently, it needs to be watered after every 15 days.
According to Sindh Director General Research Dr Atta Soomro adequate post-harvest technology is needed for increasing the shelf life of the fruit as it is to be marketed immediately. Secondly, cold chain is very important. He doesn’t rule out its cultivation in barrage areas saying pH factor could be tackled with proper treatment of land.
In addition to sunflower, strawberry has gradually become a good commercial option for farmers at least in upper Sindh region.
