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<\/p>\nTFP Bureau, Raipur, May 23, 2026: Farmers in Jashpur district are steadily transforming the agricultural landscape of the region by shifting from traditional crop cultivation to horticulture and high-value cash crops, creating new opportunities for income generation and rural prosperity.<\/p>\n
Known for its rich crop diversity and favorable climatic conditions, Jashpur is now emerging as a major horticulture hub in Chhattisgarh. After establishing a strong presence in tea, pear, litchi, and strawberry cultivation, farmers in the district have now begun successfully cultivating apples on a large scale.<\/p>\n
The transition has been encouraged under the guidance of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who has consistently promoted horticulture and cash crop farming as a means to enhance farmers\u2019 incomes and strengthen the rural economy. Acting on the Chief Minister\u2019s directions, the district administration, NABARD, the Horticulture Department, and the Rural Education and Development Society (READS) have jointly undertaken extensive initiatives to support farmers in adopting modern horticultural practices.<\/p>\n
Officials said farmers are being provided with technical guidance, training programmes, and market-related support to help them diversify their crops and adopt sustainable horticulture-based farming models. As a result, over the past two to two-and-a-half years, a significant number of farmers in the district have gradually shifted their focus from conventional agriculture to fruit cultivation and other cash crops.<\/p>\n
Apple cultivation, which began in Jashpur in 2023, has witnessed rapid expansion within a short period. At present, apple orchards have spread across nearly 410 acres of land, with around 410 farmers participating in the initiative.<\/p>\n
The cultivation is mainly concentrated in the Manora and Bagicha development blocks and in gram panchayats including Shaila, Chhatouri, Kardana, and Chhichhali. This year, the apple trees planted in these areas have reportedly yielded fruits of excellent quality and size, encouraging more farmers to take up apple farming.<\/p>\n
Local growers claim that the apples produced in Jashpur are comparable in taste and quality to those cultivated in traditional apple-producing states such as Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.<\/p>\n
Rajesh Gupta, President of the Rural Education and Development Society, stated that each participating farmer is currently cultivating apples on approximately one acre of land. He noted that the success of the pilot initiative has generated considerable interest among other farmers in the region.<\/p>\n
Pear cultivation continues to remain one of the major horticultural activities in the district. According to officials, pear orchards now cover nearly 3,500 acres, involving more than 3,500 farmers across various regions including Sanna, Pandrapath, Kanwai, Mahua, Sonkyari, Manora, Dhawaipai, and Gidha.<\/p>\n
The district currently produces around 175,000 quintals of pears annually. The produce is packed locally and supplied to major markets in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and other states. Farmers engaged in pear cultivation are reportedly earning annual incomes ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per acre.<\/p>\n
Officials from the Horticulture Department said various schemes under the National Horticulture Mission have played a key role in promoting crop diversification in the district. These initiatives include farmer training, technical assistance, plantation support, and improved market linkage facilities.<\/p>\n
They added that the increasing adoption of horticulture has enabled many farmers to become economically self-reliant while also improving the overall agrarian economy of the district.<\/p>\n
Tea cultivation has already established a strong identity for Jashpur, with tea leaves from the region known for their quality. The recent success in apple and pear cultivation has further strengthened the district\u2019s position as an emerging center for horticulture and fruit production in central India.<\/p>\n
Officials believe that the expansion of horticulture and cash crop farming has significantly improved the standard of living of farmers in the district and created new market opportunities. Plans are now being considered to further expand the cultivation area and introduce additional high-value crops suited to the region\u2019s climate and terrain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Farmers in Jashpur are moving beyond traditional farming and embracing horticulture, with apple cultivation emerging as a new success story alongside tea, pears, litchis, and strawberries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116,118,117],"tags":[1216],"class_list":["post-7481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-chhattishgarh","category-state","tag-farmers-in-jashpur"],"yoast_head":"\n