An initiative of the Maharashtra Government, agri-tourism is an emerging trend in the tourism segment. Started in 2005, one such agri-tourism initiative is the Malegaon village near Baramati. “Our idea is to make tourists live the life of a villager — right from milking cows, ploughing fields, bathing in a well to climbing trees and plucking fruits. Also, because directly or indirectly we are all linked to agriculture and most of the people in the country would like to see how their forefathers lived. Most of the tourists feel nostalgic after visiting a farm or working alongside a farmer. That is the main appeal of agri-tourism. Apart from that it is also an alternative source of income to farmers,” says Pandurange Taware, Director (sales and marketing), Agri Tourism Development Corporation.

In this concept, farmers play host to the tourists — from welcoming them to cooking traditional food. Based on prior-notice, tourists are served jowar bhakri (a traditional Marathi dish) for lunch. Although one cannot order different dishes, one may request for a particular dish with sufficient notice. Don’t expect luxury — there is no air-conditioner or swimming pool simply because that would ruin the rural experience. Alcohol and non-vegetarian food are not allowed. The concept is fast catching up and since its commencement, Malegaon has recorded a turnover of Rs 30 lakh. “At the moment, the Maharashtra Government has decided to promote 40 destinations in the State for agri-tourism, which would also include wine tours at Niphad and Nashik. It not only helps farmers, but also promotes rural artisans and generates indirect jobs. However, not all farms can offer such a tourism experience as there are some basic requirements, such as scenic beauty, facilities for tourist activity, etc,” says Taware.

However, with some adjustments, one can truly enjoy the experience — especially urban children, who otherwise know about rural life only through textbooks. Agri Tourism Development Corporation organises special camps for children coinciding with their vacation. Children are told about various aspects of rural life like milking cows, making silk, jaggery, etc. Tourists can also visit dairy farms, milk collection centres and emu and a goat farm.

Other interesting facets include bullock cart- and horse- rides, fishing, folk-music or dance performances. One can also understand the working of gram panchayats as well as play forgotten games like gilli danda, gotya and bhavra. While most tourists are satisfied and return happy, there are some discordant notes as well. “We went to Malegaon last month and though on the whole the kids enjoyed it, we felt that the quantity of food was less. They gave us just poha for breakfast which was not sufficient and all of us, including the children started feeling hungry,” says Preeti Agarwal from Pune.

Agri-tourism is one of the fastest growing tourism activities in the country as both domestic and international travellers are interested in discovering how 75 per cent of India lives. A day tour costs Rs 450 for children and Rs 600 for adults and this includes meals and activities like farm visits, bullock ploughing and folk-music. There are special camps for class 10 and 12 students as well as camps for parents and young children.

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