Production and Marketing Challenges of Strawberry Cultivation in Haryana

The results of the study revealed that 98 percent of the grower stated that the runner's propagation was not possible in their fields due inability to reproduce the runners. About 97 percent of growers have reported higher establishment cost at the initial stage of strawberry cultivation is the major financial constraints for resource-poor farmers. 96 percent strawberry growers stated lower success rate of runners. The high cost of runners was reported by 95 percent of growers which limited their strawberry cultivation, as the runners not produced in Haryana State and it purchased from abroad or outside of the state namely Himachal Pradesh. Disease and pest as production problems were faced by the ninety-three percent strawberry growers. More than ninety percent respondents reported that labour scarcity is the major problem because strawberry is highly labour intensive crop. Eightyfivepercent of the strawberry growers were opined that very fragile and high sensitivity of strawberry crop towards unfavourable climatic conditions such as hails storm and other unfavourable climate condition. As far as marketing problems of strawberry was concerned, 100 percent of strawberry growers were reported lack of scientific storage facilities followed by non-availability of agro-processing units (97 percent), no provision of minimum support price (92 percent), lower of prices due to seasonal glut (81 percent), delay in payment by the wholesaler/retailer (72 percent) etc. were reported. Apart from production as well as marketing problems of strawberry growers, retailers respondents of strawberry were reported lack of scientific storage facilities followed by wastage and spoilage (95 percent), highly perishable nature of strawberry fruit (92.50 percent), Lower demand by consumers in local markets (82.50 percent), non-availability of agro-processing units (52.50 percent) was observed as the major retailers related marketing problems in the study area. Keeping in view all the constraints regarding production and marketing of strawberry growers as well as marketing problems of retailers, there is strong need to develop scientific storage, processing, value addition and efficient marketing systems so that strawberry growers, as well as retailers, can get better prices of their produce.