Strawberry is emerging as cash fruit crop in Charsadda and Mardan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and farmers are getting higher return as compared to all other Rabi crops. These views were expressed by agricultural experts in a farmers' training programme organised under the auspices of Technology Transfer Institute (TTI).
A representative institute of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Agricultural Extension and Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab-Peshawar. The experts said that the profit earned by the farmers from the strawberry is about four times higher than sugarcane and about nine times higher than wheat crop. Nisar Ali Shah, Director TTI (PARC) Tarnab briefed the farmers about the importance of strawberry in the economy of the country. He said that Technology Transfer Institute, Tarnab conducted need assessment survey on strawberry related problems and identified that farmers did not use improved technology and use intensive pesticide/insecticide on strawberry, which is harmful for human health and environment.
He said that strawberry newly introduced crop in Pakistan and average yield per acre is very low as compared to other producing countries. He said that average yield of strawberry is 9000kilogrammes per acre, while world average yield ranged form 15000 to 25000 kgs per acre.
He informed the participants that in Sarki village the farmers cultivated two cultivars that as Shinder and Tuft. He said that Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, TTI, Tarnab is trying hard to spread strawberry crop to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He urged farmers for adopting improved strawberry management practices to achieve higher yield and get maximum income.
Dr Malik Nasir, Agriculture Officer, Charsadda district, delivered a detail lecture on chemical applications. He stressed on farmers to avoid excessive chemical application and only spray parthorides and De groups on strawberry when necessary. Noor Rehman, research Officer, ARI, Tarnab delivered lecture on proper time of sowing, land preparation, seed rate, fertiliser application and irrigation of the crop. He said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strawberries are cultivated at lower altitudes in the month of October and November fruit occurs in March to late May.