- Fruit cultivation is giving the district a new identity, with 410 farmers exemplifying self-reliance.
- Mr. Sunil Tripathi, Assistant Director
- Mrs. Nutan Sidar, Assistant Director
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai, farmers in Jashpur district are being continuously encouraged to cultivate fruits in addition to traditional farming. The positive results are now clearly visible. Once limited to rice and traditional crops, Jashpur is now establishing a distinct identity not only in the state but across the country due to its apple cultivation.
Thanks to the joint efforts of the district administration, the Rural Development and Development Society (RDS), and NABARD, apple cultivation is writing a new success story in the Manora and Bagicha development blocks. This initiative, started by tribal farmers in 2023, is now giving a new direction to the rural economy. Currently, approximately 410 farmers in the district have planted apple trees on approximately 410 acres of land, and this year, the trees are producing fruit of improved size and excellent quality.
Farmers in Jashpur say that the apples produced here are in no way inferior in taste and quality to those from Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. The favorable temperature and climate of the Manora and Bagicha development blocks are proving to be extremely suitable for apple cultivation. Apple cultivation is being practiced extensively in Shaila, Chhatauri, Kardana, and surrounding villages. Farmers in Chichhli village of Bagicha development block have also opened doors to new possibilities through apple production.
The adoption of fruit production has significantly improved farmers’ living standards. Farmers are now becoming financially stronger by earning higher incomes from horticulture-based farming alongside traditional farming. New employment and self-reliance opportunities are also emerging in rural areas.
Mr. Rajesh Gupta, President of the Rural Development and Development Society, stated that apple cultivation is being carried out on approximately 410 acres of land in the district. He added that farmers are now adopting other crops and fruit cultivation in addition to paddy, which is steadily increasing their income.
He said that most farmers are cultivating apples on one acre of their land. Thus, approximately 410 farmers in the district are directly involved in apple production. Successful apple cultivation in Jashpur is not only strengthening the economic condition of farmers but also giving the district a new identity in the field of fruit production.