__FORCETOC__ Strawberry farming at Mapro Garden, Panchgani

Mapro Gardens is a garden park in the hill station of

Panchgani Panchgani, called Paachgani (पाचगणी in Marathi), is a hill station and municipal council in Satara district in Maharashtra, India. Panchgani attracts tourists throughout the year. It is also known for having many residential educa ...

, in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is near to

Mahabaleshwar Mahabaleshwar () is a small town and a municipal council in Satara district, Maharashtra, India. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus because Krishna river has its origin here. The British colonial rulers developed the town as a hill stati ...

. The region is India's leading strawberry producer. It is a popular tourist destination. It is located in the village of Gureghar and developed and maintained by food processing company Mapro. Gureghar claims to be one of India's first villages to have 100% sanitation with every house having a biogas plant.

Produce

Mahabaleshwar contributes 85% of India's total strawberry output. About 80% is consumed fresh.

History

Mapro is a food processing company founded in 1959, in the hill-town of Panchgani, near Mahabaleswar. Mapro was started by pharmacist Kishore Vora. From 1983 it was expanded by his nephew Mayur Vora. Mapro set up a fruit processing unit at Gureghar with 12 employees. Mapro provided nearby farmers with technical guidance and committed to buy their produce. Tourist recognition led to the development of the Mapro Garden which defines the identity of Gureghar among tourists. The rise of modern retail gave Mapro a nationwide network. After tax reforms Mapro invested in setting up three new units in Satara and Pune districts in Maharashtra and Pathankot in Punjab. As of 2012,{{cite news , date=10 June 2012 , title=A passion for fruit , publisher=Business Today , url=http://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/cover-story/small-brands-in-india-mapro-foods/story/184742.html , accessdate=28 December 2017 installed capacity was 100 tonnes/day. As growth in the jam and squash businesses started slowing in 2005, Mapro entered the confectionery and chocolate industry.

Festival

Gureghar/Mapro Garden hosts an annual Strawberry Festival. The festival encourages strawberry cultivation in the area. During the festival fresh picked strawberries are lined up for visitors. Traditional folk performances such as Shivkalin Dhol and Lezim take place.

References

External links

MAPRO website

Parks in India Protected areas of Maharashtra Gardens in India Panchgani