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India strawberry growers depend on imported patented mother plants
Farmers in Mahabaleshwar must buy replacement young plants every season, including imported certified mother stock, after each crop cycle and quarantine steps.
In western India, Mahabaleshwar is a major strawberry-growing region, where an altitude above 1,000 meters supports a cool season from November to March. But BBC Business reports the work is labor intensive and risky, since heavy rains can ruin an entire crop, forcing growers to absorb major losses.
On many farms, the annual process starts with buying young plants rather than growing from seed, an approach tied to imported, patented strawberry varieties. BBC Business says some growers spend about $2,500 per year to replace plants on half of a three-acre farm, and strawberry industry participants note that India lacks domestic plant breeding.
BBC Business also highlights the supply chain for propagation, where certified mother plants imported from places such as California, Florida, Italy, and Spain must undergo a government quarantine before being used in nurseries. A single imported mother plant can generate roughly 20 daughter plants on average, with some growers pushing higher using controlled growing setups like pipe-based gutter containers, coco-peat substrate, and precision drip irrigation and fogging systems.
The outlet reports that research at Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Maharashtra is exploring domestic breeding, including a partnership with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on a breeding experiment that could reduce reliance on imported varieties. The article notes breeding timelines in the US and Europe can take 10 to 15 years, with breeders patenting top quality fruit varieties, which is part of why the current import model is entrenched.