Munnar's strawberry harvest season begins early: Things to know

Love munching on strawberries and taking a leisurely stroll? It's the right time to head to Munnar. The region's annual strawberry harvest season began earlier this year. The harvest has commenced at the Horticorp farm here, functioning under the Department of Agriculture. Visitors to the farm can personally harvest and purchase strawberries from the field. The cultivation resumed here at the end of last year, after a four-year gap. One kilogram of strawberries costs ₹600.

The harvest, which began a few days ago, can last for around three more months under normal circumstances. Generally, cultivation begins around August here, and the harvest season is in November-December. Last year, the planting was done around November due to climatic variations. The strawberry planted here is the high-yielding 'Nebula' variety, which has comparatively larger fruits. It's sourced from Pune, said the farm authorities.

How to reach
The strawberry farm is located 1.5 kilometres from Munnar town along the Silent Valley Road. Tourists can visit the farm between 10 am and 5 pm. The best times to visit are mornings and afternoons. While this government-run strawberry farm operates only in Munnar, several private strawberry farms function in the Vattavada and Kanthalloor regions.

Things to bear in mind
1) Visitors aren't allowed to touch all the fruits, but can closely observe.
2)They can point to the ones they wish to buy and then harvest the fruit on their own.

Other spots near the farm
Just about 13 kilometres from the farm are the other popular Munnar attractions, such as Mattupetty Dam, Top Station, and Rajamalai. The Eravikulam National Park is located at Rajamalai.