How strawberry farming is boosting tribal incomes in Koraput

Malati Gadba cannot believe her luck. Until two years ago, she would struggle to make ends meet with inadequate income from the cultivation of paddy, ragi and some vegetables. Last year, she earned Rs 1.60 lakh in five months from an unconventional crop – strawberries.

Her success has inspired other women in and around her village to take up strawberry farming. “I had never earned this much money from a single crop. Now, other women farmers under various self-help and producer groups have taken up strawberry farming in the region,” 42-year-old Malati tells 30Stades.

Also Read: Koraput Coffee: How Odisha tribals brew a global coffee brand 

Malati is part of the Maa Patakhanda Producer Group of Kauguda village of Dasmantpur block in Odisha's Koraput district. She won the Chief Minister’s award in August 2025 for her work towards strawberry cultivation.

Strawberry – changing farming and lives

About 100 farmers, mostly tribal women, grow strawberries in ten villages of Koraput. They earned Rs 35 lakh in the last season. “I earned Rs 1.10 lakh from strawberry cultivation, and this year I will earn more,” says Kamla Gadva, another farmer.

Strawberry farming is emerging as a transformative livelihood option for tribal communities in Koraput, a district known for its traditional millet and paddy systems. Strawberry delivers quick returns and requires relatively small land areas. 

Over the past few years, the introduction of strawberries, supported by the Odisha Livelihood Mission, Mission Shakti, Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) and the Horticulture department, has helped small and marginal farmers tap into a high-value crop.

Also Read: How this Punjab farmer makes a profit of Rs 5 lakh per acre with strawberry farming
 
“This year, strawberry farming will be done in about 125 acres of land in the district,” says Sudam Chandra Biswal, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Koraput.

The Horticulture Department is assisting the farmers by providing saplings, like the Winter Dawn variety, and through market linkages. The target is to earn around Rs 50 lakh in the current season, he says.

Why is Koraput suited for growing strawberries

The saplings of the Winter Dawn strawberry variety were purchased from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. About 22,000 saplings, each priced at Rs 13, were planted in one acre. With a mortality rate of 10 to 20 percent, around 19,000 saplings survived in an acre. 

“The yield per plant ranges from 300 gm to 400 gm,” Biswal points out.

Koraput’s cool nights, gentle slopes and scattered uplands provide favourable microclimates for strawberries, which thrive in well-drained soils and mild temperatures. 

“For tribal farmers who typically rely on rainfed agriculture, the crop offers an opportunity to diversify income beyond the single paddy harvest,” Biswal adds. 

Also Read: Odisha’s tribal farmers turn unused land into income with green and black gram farming

Unlike many horticultural crops, strawberries have a short duration of 90 to 120 days from planting to harvest, allowing farmers to generate income when fields would otherwise remain fallow.

The initiative is proving lucrative, with farmers earning higher, helping them become self-sufficient. 

Expanding to newer blocks

Earlier, only the Kotia Gram Panchayat of Pottangi Block was harvesting strawberries with the support of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) over five acres of land. However, in the Rabi season last year, the Koraput district administration expanded strawberry farming to other blocks. 

The implementing agency, Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), identified the land for cultivation. The farmers of Kauguda have taken up this new initiative, and now strawberry is grown over 20 acres.

With the assistance of CYSD, 30 farmers cultivate strawberries. Planted in November 2024, the crop was first harvested this year. Farmers sell their produce at a dedicated marketplace provided by the district administration. They achieved yields of 80 to 100 quintals by April this year. 

Also Read: Rs12 lakh a year from 1 bigha: Assam teacher’s organic vanilla success

Some varieties, like Winter Dawn, can give a harvest twice, as it is an early-maturing, ever-bearing type.

“The same plants will bear fruits again this year, promising even greater profits,” says Malati.

Marketing has been the decisive factor in the success of strawberry farming. ORMAS and the state horticulture department have been active in forming producer groups, arranging sapling supply, training in cultivation and packaging, and linking growers to institutional buyers and retailers. 

ORMAS, with its linkage with big retailers, helps fetch higher prices. As a result, the best-quality strawberries command premium rates of Rs 250 to Rs 400 per kg in the wholesale market, depending on the season and quality.

(Malay Ray is a Rourkela-based journalist. He writes on social issues, human interest stories, startups, the environment, women empowerment and tribal life.)

Also Read: Tribal women pioneer strawberry farming in Odisha

Look up our YouTube Channel