After years of switching between its two claims to fame—favoured hill spot and the country’s strawberry hub—Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra is hankering for another. For the first time, the strawberry farmers of the region—which produces 10,000 tonnes of of the fruit, almost 90 per cent of the total production in India—are ready to set foot in the foreign market. After exporting 122 tonnes of strawberry to Belgium on an experimental basis last season, the farmers are set to deliver about 2,000 tonnes to Belgium and Dubai this year.

“About 1,500 acres of land in Mahabaleshwar is under strawberry cultivation and with the doors opening to the foreign market, another 1,000 acre is likely to come under cultivation,” says Balasaheb Bhilare, president of the All India Strawberry Growers Association (AISGA).

About 80 per cent of the strawberry produced is used as table fruit and 20 per cent for processing, with the profit margin for farmers ranging between Rs 80,000-1 lakh per acre. “But with the export opportunity coming up and with retail companies approaching the farmers, we hope to reap more benefit. We have also started to look for more varieties of strawberries,” says Mohan Patil, another farmer, referring to companies like Reliance which, for the first time, are directly approaching the farmers for purchasing strawberry.

Till last year, export seemed like a distant dream as the fruit is perishable and was used only in the domestic market. But in the past few years, farmers have successfully developed varieties that sustain for more than 48 hours. Also, the state Government has stepped forward to facilitate the fruit’s export, with the Belgian companies seeking the Mahabaleshwar strawberry for jams, jelly and juice.

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