Pandemic turned this law graduate into ‘strawberry girl’

After she couldn't pursue her Master's because of Covid-19, Gurleen began strawberry farming

Jhansi: The lockdown and her love for strawberries is not only changing the fate of the region she lives in but has also turned her into a celebrity of sorts. A law graduate from Pune, Gurleen Chawla, 23, was preparing to do her Master’s in Law from the US when the lockdown was clamped.

With nothing better to do, Gurleen, who is fond of strawberries but could not find them in Jhansi, bought ten seedlings and planted them in pots filled with coco-peat at her small terrace garden. “I was excited when small plants started bearing fruits. The fruits were small in size but they were juicy and tasty,” she said.

Her father Harjeet Singh Chawla, a businessman, then went on to encourage her and she decided to develop 4.5 acres of barren land that was bought by her father years ago, but was lying vacant at the moment. “I bought 20,000 strawberry seedlings, grown with tissue culture, and sowed them in 1.5 acres using organic fertilizers and the latest techniques in October last year,” she said.

Gurleen claimed that since strawberries need little water retention and a maximum temperature up to 35 degrees, the climate and soil in Jhansi just did wonders with the strawberry seedlings. “All of them are now bearing bigger and juicier fruits. I am expecting a total yield of 10,000 kg this season. We pluck daily and sell it to local supermarkets at Rs 250 per kg,” she said.

To market her produce online, she has developed a website – www.jhansiorganics.com – to sell the strawberries outside Jhansi as well. “I have a marketing consultant who is exploring bigger markets for the next season,” she said.

Besides growing strawberries, Gurleen is also using the remaining three acres of land for growing organic bell pepper, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, and other seasonal vegetables to increase her income.

Gurleen is now ready to help farmers who wish to increase their income by growing strawberries.