The Hindu Business Line : Farm tourism a big hit in Maharashtra

It was a concept implemented by a group of 30 farmers from Malegaon near Baramati who pooled around 110 acres and formed the Agricultural Development Trust in 1968. From a blank slate in October 2005 to Rs 20 crore, from one destination to 52 places, agri-tourism has become the norm in the State.

R. Savitha

Pune, Jan 25 Kolhapu, Karad, Jogwadi and Murti in Baramati, Nashik, Rajgurunagar, Junnar, Nagoan in Alibagh, Dapoli… These are some of the hotspots in Maharashtra where families are heading for a break, for the weekend from January 25 to 27.

And it is not only the urban Indians who are heading for the break but international tourists are also visiting these places. Out of 52 tourist locations, 18 have been fully booked for the weekend, he said while the other locations havebeen booked for the daily tours.

Weekend Pull

Comparing the tourist inflow last year, Mr Pandurang Taware, Director, Marketing and Sales, Agri Tourism Development Organisation, Baramati District, said last year the turnout had been only around 60 per cent, but this year the rooms had been booked as early as the first tweek of January.

“We also have the Principal Secretary, Punjab Tourism as our guest as she is coming in to study our model and replicate the same in Punjab. We have around eight US students, six Germans from the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute also as our guests” he said.

Beginning

Pilot Project

The pilot project at Malegaon has now become an example for other farmers to follow in Maharashtra. Agri-tourism center in Baramati has welcomed more than 18,000 guests from urban areas who want see farming . Mr Taware attributed the upsurge to tourists who want to show the agriculture practices to their children and also educate them on how the food that is consumed is grown in the fields. And the highlight for this January weekend would be showcasing of actual process of the winery, he said. Other interest areas include making of jaggery, sugar. Mr. Taware said ATDO has trained almost 127 farmers in Maharashtra in agri-tourism and has motivated them to start the tourism projects on their farms. ATDO is also promoting these tourist locations in Mumbai and Pune.

A directory on agri-tourism farms has also been brought out, he said.

Mr Taware noted that during last year, the revenue was only around Rs 4 lakh but this year with the long weekend, the revenue would cross Rs. 10 lakh. The organisation is planning to request the State Government to set up an Indian Agri-Tourism Society with experts from tourism, agriculture and banking to guide the industry. “The pilot project has been a huge success. Over 18,000 tourists, including foreigners have been to Malegaon so far. The rural economy has changed since locals have found employment without disturbing their basic activity. The future is bright since India gets almost 4 million tourists every year. Even if agri-tourism attracts 5 per cent, it can change farmers lives,” he said.

Quoting an example, Mr Taware said Mr Sunil Bhosale, a farmer from Baramati taluka, used to get Rs 60,000 from his 13 acres. Now for the past three months, he gets Rs 25,000 from agri-tourism without much investment. According to Mr Taware, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and even Sri Lanka are planning to replicate the model.