Azeem A. Khan

“Strawberry cultivation in Pakistan has become popular due to its high demand in the domestic markets and attractive returns,” ex-chief scientist and director of Horticulture Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Dr Hafeez ur Rehman told WealthPK. Natural wild strawberries have existed in the northern regions of Pakistan since the country was founded. “But the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) imported about 40 to 50 good strawberry varieties from Italy and experimented with them at various NARCs in 1980s to help commercialise its farming in the country,” he said.

Tests were conducted at various research centres situated in the Northern Areas, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces to indigenise the fruit. The varieties conducive to the local climate were selected and handed over to the farmers in relatively cool regions such as Swat, Murree, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad for commercial farming. Previously, a lot of individuals who travelled to different European countries brought their seedlings back to Pakistan to use exclusively for kitchen gardening. It went unnoticed until strawberry plants in the aforementioned areas began to produce commercial quantities.

Mitchell’s Fruit Farms, commonly known as Mitchell’s, has also played a role in the promotion of this fruit in Pakistan by introducing strawberry jam. Since strawberry is a highly perishable fruit, Mitchell’s supplied the plants to the farmers in Swat for cultivation with buy-back guarantees. The farmers at that time did not know how to store and transport the new fruit, so they needed such guarantees.

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for strawberries in Pakistan due to their health benefits and increasing use in more food products such as ice creams, custards, milkshakes, cakes, jellies, pastries, desserts, etc. In Pakistan, September to November is the ideal season to grow strawberries, and December to May is when they are harvested. Since Pakistan’s environment has mostly proven to be favourable for strawberry production, this fruit is now produced in all the provinces – Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan.

Every new season has been seeing an increase in strawberry cultivation in Pakistan. Some strawberry-growing cities are Swat, Mansehra, Quetta, Hyderabad, and Kasur. The popular strawberry varieties include Toro, Tufts, Chandler, and Gorella, among others. Strawberries are picked, packed, transported, and sold with extreme caution since they are highly perishable. The fruit is often gathered and packed in the early morning and delivered to the market the same day. Otherwise, it is picked in the late afternoon, kept in a cool spot overnight, and supplied early the next morning.

Transporting strawberries across long distances is now made easier due to the availability of temperature-controlled transportation vehicles in the country. Since the plants are short in height, the quality and quantity of the fruit may decrease due to the frequent soil contact, and the fruit may rot occasionally. To prevent any harm to the fruit, rice straw or plastic wrap are placed under the plant. Strawberry production in Pakistan can prove to be a highly lucrative business, if farmers properly care for their crops and adhere to the appropriate agricultural practices. Pakistan can also earn foreign exchange by selling this famous fruit to the nations who are unable to cultivate this delicious and attractive fruit.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk