The Chief Minister's Office of Chhattisgarh announced on Monday, 25 May 2026 that farmers in the state are moving beyond traditional agriculture under the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, with growers in Jashpur district now cultivating high-value crops including strawberries, pears, and apples.

Context

The CMO's post, shared in Hindi, states: 'Chhattisgarh ke kisan ab paramparagat kheti se aage badhkar navachar ki or badh rahe hain' — 'Farmers of Chhattisgarh are now moving beyond traditional farming toward innovation.' The announcement specifically highlights Jashpur, a northern district of the state, as a centre of this agricultural shift, where growers are cultivating strawberries, pears, and apples as symbols of self-reliance.

The government describes this push under the banner of 'Suशासन Sarkar' ('Good Governance Government'), a recurring theme of the Vishnu Deo Sai-led administration, which came to power in December 2023 following state assembly elections. The post credits the government with providing 'special training, technical guidance, and modern farming facilities' to boost farmer incomes.

Policy Backdrop

The drive to diversify away from paddy cultivation in Chhattisgarh has roots in both central and state-level horticulture policy. The National Horticulture Mission, launched in 2005-06, extended central assistance to the state for promoting high-value fruit crops and farmer training. State horticulture policy initiatives since the mid-2010s have specifically targeted tribal districts — including Jashpur — to encourage crop diversification.

Jashpur carries a significant tribal population and has been identified as a district with the agro-climatic conditions suitable for temperate and semi-temperate fruits. The cultivation of strawberries and pome fruits such as apples and pears in this belt reflects a broader national priority of reducing dependence on rain-fed staple agriculture and improving market access for marginal and tribal farmers.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries cited are Jashpur's farming communities, including a substantial proportion of tribal cultivators who have historically depended on paddy and other traditional crops. Access to technical guidance and modern inputs — as described in the government's announcement — is intended to reduce production risk as these farmers transition to unfamiliar, higher-investment crops.

High-value horticulture typically offers significantly better returns per acre than paddy, but requires greater upfront investment, cold-chain infrastructure, and reliable market linkages. The success of such programmes in tribal belts of central India depends heavily on sustained state support beyond the training phase, including post-harvest facilities and access to urban or export markets.

What's Next

The broader question for the Sai government is whether the horticulture push in Jashpur can be scaled to additional districts across Chhattisgarh. Policy watchers will look for a mid-term review of income gains from strawberry and apple cultivation, and for announcements on cold storage and market linkage infrastructure that would make diversification economically sustainable for small and marginal farmers. If Jashpur's model demonstrates measurable income improvement, it could serve as a template for tribal agricultural belts in neighbouring states as well.