Subhechcha Ganguly 
The small communities inside the Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary in the Nuapada district are on the verge of a major revolution. The locals, who are largely Chakotia Bhunjia tribals, are prepared to drastically alter their financial situation now that they have started growing strawberries. And now that they are producing a healthy harvest and making money, their dedication and hard work are finally paying off.The fields in this steep region had no vegetation on them up until a year ago. The traditional farming was costing the Chakotia Bhunjia tribe a great deal of money. The Chakotia Bhunjia Development Agency (CBDA) then intervened to save them.
The CBDA organised strawberry cultivation training for the tribal members on the district Collector’s instructions. They had no idea what a strawberry was up until that point, nor were they aware that the soil on their fields was suitable for strawberry cultivation.The tribal people were taken on a trip to Mahabaleshwar by the CBDA and district horticulture department, who also gave them seeds and training.
These red fruits are now scattered across the large area of land, making the farmers happy. They are content now that the difficult times are behind them. They are making thousands of dollars from this strawberry farming.
