“My son, who lives in Bhubaneswar, told me about strawberries he recently discovered,” said Maheswar Parida, 40, a farmer from Mallipanka village in the Gochha Panchayat of Surada block, Ganjam district.

Mallipanka village is primarily a farming community. It comprises 21 households with small and marginal landholdings ranging from 0.5 to 3 acres. Paddy cultivation remains the primary focus. Due to unpredictable rains and limited irrigation measures, farmers like Maheswar Jani have struggled with water availability, leading to reduced crop yield, lower produce quality, and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases.

Maheswar first heard about strawberries during a phone call with his son. As the President of a Farmer Producer Group (FPG) in the village, Maheswar shared this news with his group, sparking curiosity about this unknown fruit. For many in the village, this delectable fruit was a novelty until Gram Vikas showed them a picture of it and explained its high market value. The residents had never seen or heard of this fruit
before.

In 2016, the farmers of Mallipanka started a lift irrigation system to irrigate over thirty acres of land in partnership with neighbouring villages Sanagochha and Jatarama. To oversee the system, a Pani Panchayat was established. After two months, a hefty electricity bill of ₹40,000 led the farmers to believe the system was too expensive, prompting them to discontinue it.

Revitalising irrigation and embracing a new crop

In July 2022, Gram Vikas partnered with the Axis Bank Foundation to implement the Rural Livelihood project in Sorada and Daringbadi blocks, aiming to reach out to nearly 25,000 households across 570 villages in Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. Farmers from Mallipanka, heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture, faced challenges when their irrigation system malfunctioned, leaving them dependent on unpredictable weather.

In June 2023, Gram Vikas approached them to form a group. Thirteen farmers from the village formed the Maa Tulasi Farmers Producer Group (FPG). Despite daily setbacks and challenges, the farmers’ monthly meetings and collaboration with Gram Vikas ensued. The members first approached the electricity department in Sorada block to inquire about the pending ₹40,000 bill from 2016. They requested a waiver, as they had used the irrigation system for only a few days. However, the department officials said
they couldn’t help.

The farmer group then approached the Bhanjanagar electricity board with a copy of the group’s resolution, requesting a waiver of the erroneous bill. After multiple visits, the department waived the amount, asking the group to pay ₹11,400. The group paid with support from the FPG fund.

In October 2023, the electricity department visited the village and found broken wires and poles. The farmers explained their water woes and the challenges in cultivating enough to feed their families due to the broken cables and low voltage supply. The department decided to repair the electricity line and install a transformer in the village.

With the transformer installed, the farmers revived the motor that had been lying unused since 2016. In December 2023, intrigued by a photo of the novelty fruit seen at a meeting, the FPG approached the horticulture department to explore strawberry farming. Confident in venturing into non-traditional crops with adequate water supply, the horticulture department delivered 55,000 saplings worth ₹9,35,000 to the group on December 15, 2023, marking the inception of Mallipanka’s first strawberry farm.

Recognising the farmers’ commitment, the Horticulture Officer in Surada block provided 20 quintals of organic manure worth ₹20,000, soil treatment materials like Phuradan – 200 kg worth ₹20,000, DAP worth ₹10,000, potash worth ₹9,000, urea worth ₹1,750, and mulching polythene worth ₹1,12,000.

The Horticulture Officer attended the FPG’s monthly meeting in December, acknowledging the group’s potential. Encouraged by the success, the community expressed interest in exploring other farm livelihood activities, leading to the introduction of vegetable cultivation. The horticulture department also supplied drip irrigation pipes worth ₹1,00,000, which the group members installed.

A collective triumph 

Bhagya Parida, 30, a Maa Tulasi Farmers Producer Group (FPG) member, reflects on the positive impact of the group’s formation and registration in June 2023. Resolving the village’s longstanding farming challenges since 2016 revitalised the irrigation system and kick started strawberry cultivation.

Highlighting the power of collective action, Bhagya says, “As a small farmer, I often struggle to get a fair price due to the limited yield from my small plot. Within the FPG, cultivating strawberries collectively over 2.5 acres can boost our bargaining power and increase our earnings. Although we heard that strawberry production could reach 10-12 metric tons per acre, being a new crop for us and considering the challenging climate, we hoped for around six metric tons from the 2.5 acres we planted. The horticulture department assisted with the setup and provided an initial orientation, but their support was minimal afterwards. We harvested only 50 kg and earned ₹16,000. Despite the losses, the experience was enriching. It was our first collective effort and our first income from strawberries. The permanent irrigation setup motivated us to explore other vegetables to grow together. As a group, we now have the means to reinvest and attempt strawberry cultivation again in the future, and this time, we plan to seek guidance from an expert for on-site support. Additionally, being a legally registered group ensures support from the agriculture and horticulture departments in the block, allowing us access to quality production inputs like seeds, saplings, fertilisers, pesticides, etc., at wholesale rates.”

“The initiative taken by 13 group members for strawberry farming was a turning point for the group and unique in this entire block,” says Maheswar Parida, President of the FPG in Mallipanka. He states, “Members are united, and we have realised the strength of a collective. The initiative has prompted the community to explore and diversify into other agricultural ventures, including vegetable cultivation, to build a sustainable livelihood system based on agriculture and allied activities.”