Growing sugar free strawberries!

Friday, 30 December 2011 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ramnagar, Dec 29 : Farmers in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital District have taken up sugar free strawberry cultivation with an aim to ensure that the patients suffering from diabetes are able to consume it.

In a unique initiative to cater to the needs of various patients who are like eating fruits but are not able to do so due to the sugar content in the fruit, cultivators came out with an alternative where they produced strawberries with the help of tissue culture technique.

Farmer M S Negi, who initiated this effort, informed that the plant is even used in making medicines.

“These plants benefit people suffering from cancer, diabetes, asthma, cough and stone. This is a medicinal plant, and I thought that such plant would be possible to grow with the help of tissue culture, we are getting good response from the public,” said Negi.

They had produced three varieties of strawberries in the poly-house under the favourable condition, and these strawberries have ten percent less sugar content than the actual amount in the fruit.

This is a specialised variety as the sugar contents are very low in this. Thirdly, as we are growing it under controlled temperature inside that will give a good production and quality which we will not be able to get in the open field,” said agriculturist, Rakesh Nandan.

The farmers, who are now hesitant to grow traditional crops, are experimenting with the cultivation of strawberry and are optimistic that the new yield would pay rich dividends. (ANI)