As India's berry rush grows, blueberries are yet proving to be tricky for growers, says Sankalp Bavlekar of SB Agritech, which imports mother strawberry, blueberry, and mulberry plants straight from Italy, Spain, and Egypt, nurturing them at nurseries in Maharashtra's berry hub of Mahabaleshwar and Pune. "Mahabaleshwar already supplies 80% of India's strawberries, and now we import around 1,000 kgs of fresh blueberries weekly from Chile, Peru, Europe, and the US to meet urban demand."
Sankalp details their nursery operations: "We propagate around 8 million fresh strawberry plants yearly across two units and 1 million blueberry seedlings, including imports, then ship pan-India and even to neighbours like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Egypt handles our strawberry mother plantations for Middle East and Gulf exports too."
© SB Agritech
South India and Northeast farmers are leading blueberry cultivation interests, but yields lag without precise guidance, Sankalp explains. "Year 1 gives sparse flowers and tiny fruits, year 2 needs micronutrient adjustments for better size, and year 3 brings bushy growth and rising yields, with a lifespan of over 20-25 years. Greenhouses fend off diseases and birds, while grow bags outperform soil for root health. Plant 2-3-year-old saplings outside monsoons for fruiting in 6-7 months, peaking in April-August," Sankalp explains.
He highlights that while no variety rules in India yet, dozens of trials with commercial hopes are dashed by chilling mismatches. "Zero-chill varieties fit our heat, but growers should wait 2-3 years for clear winners before big investments," he advises newcomers. SB Agritech is running trials to test 10 new varieties, including 4 under exclusive breeder programmes, sharing soil tests and chilling data for Dehradun, Ooty, Munnar, and other trials to confirm the suitability of chill and non-chill varieties.
High import costs for plants and royalties continue to push growers toward economic propagation, which understandably concerns international breeders about unauthorized copying, Sankalp observes. "India represents a vast market, and we're keen about closer collaboration with global breeders." In the meantime, SB Agritech's private breeding efforts are also underway with ambitions to develop "Make in India" berries tailored to local Indian climates. "With protected setups and patience, domestic productivity can improve to match growing demand. One day, our varieties will rival imports in performance," he wraps up.
For more information:
Sankalp Bavlekar
SB Agritech
Tel: +91 96 23 689 000
Email: [email protected]
www.sbagritech.com
