Indian strawberry propagation faces patent protection roadblocks as breeders fear the lack of sufficient hold to protect their patented plant varieties in the country, shares Sankalp Bavlekar of SB Agritech, which imports mother strawberry plants from Italy, Spain, and Egypt to supply around 20 million strawberry seedlings annually through its nurseries in Mahabaleshwar and Pune.
According to Sankalp, this season's transit chilling issues damaged stock, forcing cancellations despite partnerships with top nurseries. "Growers endured low production, poor fruit shape, and low disease resistance from subpar seedlings. India relies on varieties like Winter Dawn, Nabila, Elide, Parthenope, Camarosa, and Muranno, along with trials of Flavia, Flaminia, Beauty, Fortuna, Elyana, and Sensation in low volumes. We test 15+ new ones yearly, with the climate picking the winners," he highlights.
© SB Agritech
Parthenope stands out, delivering ideal strawberry yields at USD 4.4 per kg amid USD 4.4 to 5.5 per kg wholesale price peaks from low supply. "Huge demand exists, but production is not able to meet consumer needs yet. Relief may come post-January if volumes rise, dropping prices to affordable levels. Growers are simply looking to break even on investments," Sankalp observes.
For nurseries like SB Agritech, challenges keep showing up. "Feedback on successful strawberry varieties gets transferred to breeders with wrong information, jeopardizing next year's supply deals. Breeders show interest but hesitate over propagation risks." Sankalp explains this simply: "Imported plants' high costs are diluted across 10 runners each to keep production at a few rupees per plant. Yet prices can drop to even USD 1.1 per kg, leaving fixed royalties unaffordable. Paying royalties matters, but so does profit. It's hard to decide which takes priority."
© SB Agritech
SB Agritech backs growers with buyback schemes at collection centers, sourcing fruit at market rates from open-field operations. Exports remain off the table for now since local strawberries do not meet standards amid soaring domestic demand. But Sankalp sees a promising future ahead. "Coming weeks promise solid production from our seedlings, led by Parthenope's strong yields. With breeder trials for climate-suited varieties and pending collaborations, we anticipate big changes and have ambitions to export Indian strawberries to the world's open markets," he concludes on an optimistic note.
For more information:
Sankalp Bavlekar
SB Agritech
Tel: +91 96 23 689 000
Email: [email protected]
www.sbagritech.com
