Till the late 90s, the acreage under strawberry cultivation in Uttarakhand was 30-40 acres and Jyolikot area in Nainital district was known as the “Strawberry Bowl of India”. But after 1998, the cultivation of strawberry started in plains of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi (NCR) too. This increased the competition for strawberry growers of Nainital districts, Uttarakhand due to lower cost of cultivation and distribution at places mentioned above. Presently, the acreage under strawberry is just around 11-12 acres in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand with around 10 acres in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar. The National Horticulture Board also does not have any scheme for strawberry growers of the state. The study found a need for a sustainable supply chain model to promote distribution of locally grown strawberry in nearby markets. Once the market is developed, the acreage under strawberry can be increased considerably, which is a good alternative source of income, providing net income of about 70,000- 80,000/acre/season to the growers. Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Haldwani could be the potential markets to be tapped initially as they have a large number of hotels and restaurants, and are frequented by tourists and business executives throughout the year. Due to its being in the vicinity and connected by good road network, supply from farmers to the consumers could be done within 3-4 hours. The packed boxes of strawberry could be picked up early in the morning from farm gate by a vehicle and distributed to hotels and restaurants as per their demand in the nearby markets.

The modern cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is one of the most delicious, refreshing and soft fruits of the world. Its plant is cherished in gardens and in commercial fields for its beautiful, red fruit that has a tantalizing aroma. Being a rich source of vitamins and minerals coupled with delicate flavor, strawberry has now become an important table fruit for millions of people around the globe. It is amongst the few fruit crops which give quicker and very high returns per unit area on the capital investment.

The fruiting in strawberry starts in the month of February (planted by October- November). Its successive crops can be taken; however, the yield and quality deteriorate after two seasons. The fruit is harvested along with the stalk when 50% of the surface has attained red color. The fruit should be picked daily in warm weather. Farmers can get 15 to 20 pieces of 250 g each from one plant. Before 1998, strawberry was cultivated on a large-scale in Nainital district (nearby Jyolikot area which was known as the “Strawberry Bowl of India”) and was supplied to markets in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Dehradun, etc. But after 1998, the cultivation of strawberry started in the plains of Uttar Pradesh (Saharanpur, Baghpat, Meerut, etc.), Haryana (Hissar, Panipat, Sonepat, etc.) and Uttarakhand (Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Haridwar), Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Solan, Ponta Sahib, etc.) and Delhi (NCR). Due to increased competition from the strawberry cultivators of above-mentioned places, who enjoy lower cultivation costs and nearness to markets, the farmers of Nainital districts stopped cultivating strawberry. Presently, the acreage under strawberry is just around 11-12 acres in Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts of Uttarakhand with around 10 acres in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar. The National Horticulture Board also does not have any scheme for strawberry growers of the state.

Supply Chain Management Journal, A Supply Chain Model, Khurapia Farm, Marketing of Strawberry, Table Quality (A-grade), Loose Strawberry, Strawberry, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi (NCR).