Kiwi farming blooms in Sirmaur’s Pachhad

The Pachhad region of Sirmaur district, known for its production of cash crops such as tomatoes, capsicum, beans, peas, ginger and garlic, is now making strides in fruit cultivation also. Farmers of the area are increasingly turning to cultivation of fruits like peach, pear, apple and kiwi to boost their income.

Vijendra Singh Thakur, a progressive farmer from Thaledi village in the Narg subtehsil of Sirmaur district, is one such success story.

Thakur ventured into kiwi farming in 1990s by planting 100 saplings of the Allison and Hayward varieties. Four years later, he expanded his orchard with 50 more plants. Today, his orchard boasts 150 kiwi-bearing plants. Speaking about his harvest, Thakur said, “This month, I produced around 50 quintals of kiwi from my orchard, earning nearly Rs 10 lakh from the crop.”

He also mentioned of receiving a subsidy of Rs 1.6 lakh from the state government under the Chief Minister’s Kiwi Promotion Scheme for planting 100 kiwi saplings.

Thakur’s family of six is engaged in agriculture and horticulture. They have also hired two workers. Apart from kiwi, they grow tomato, capsicum, pea and garlic.

Narendra Pawar, a progressive farmer who began kiwi cultivation in 1993, also hails from the same village. He purchased 150 kiwi saplings from Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Nauni and learned the nuances of kiwi farming from the university.

Kiwi thrives in areas located at altitudes between 4,000 and 6,000 feet and popular varieties include Allison, Bruno, Monty, Abbott and Hayward.

Pawar’s orchard now has 300 kiwi-bearing plants and he has produced approximately 90 quintals of fruit this year, earning over Rs 15 lakh. He encourages unemployed youth to take up kiwi farming rather than waiting for government jobs, highlighting the fruit’s potential of providing a stable income.

Rajesh Sharma, the Horticulture Development Officer of Pachhad, emphasised that the region’s climate was ideal for the kiwi cultivation.

He noted that the government was actively promoting kiwi farming under the CM’s Kiwi Promotion Scheme and urged unemployed youth to take advantage of this initiative. Currently, 16 hectares of land in the Pachhad region is under kiwi cultivation, producing approximately 133 metric tonnes of fruit annually.

Sharma also highlighted the medicinal benefits of kiwi, stating that the fruit is known to increase blood platelet count and combat anaemia. The rising trend of kiwi farming in Sirmaur is providing a substantial boost to the local economy and creating employment opportunities at the same time.