Agritourism

Agritourism is the latest concept in the Indian tourism industry, which normally occurs on farms. It gives you the opportunity to experience the real enchanting and authentic contact with the rural life, taste the local genuine food and get familiar with the various farming tasks during the visit. It provides you the welcome escape from the daily hectic life in the peaceful rural environment. It gives you the chance to relax and revitalize in the in the pure natural environment, surrounded by magnificent setting. See the real India and have the experience of the lifetime on the farm stay holidays. Farm Stay :

Well you must now be bored of visiting the hill stations and staying in the first class Ac hotel room. And you might be looking for the change this time. And to offer you the holidays with the difference agritourism is definitely a good option. To get that very special experience of the rural ambiance and to enjoy the rural life, Indian tourism provides you the opportunity to stay right away in the farms houses along with the other villagers and experience the difference. Witness the unique lifestyle of the villagers. Learn about the their age old traditions and culture, which they resume till date. Converse with them and feel how warm hearted and simple they are. Along with them spend time playing the pleasing rural games such as taash (cards) and kho kho. Than there are interesting bull fight and wrestling matches held on various occasions in the village. On the tour to the village what attracts you the most is the colorful costumes of the villages. Womens are seen wearing the ghagra choli (Skirt and top) or the saris. While are men are donned up in the traditional kurtas andturbans. Both men and women are usually seen Venturing wearing into the the various agricultural jewelery farms items. :

Roam into the vast spreaded acres of agricultural lands along with the group of villagers who can provide you the better insight of the village. As you roam into the fields, feel the smell of the India soil, which gives you the real flavor of India. Enchant with the farmers working hard in the fields. Take the view of the bulls ploughing the fields. The wells, other water bodies, mountains and forests are the added Animal attraction for Rides the tourists. :

Apart from all this, holidays on farms provides you the complete entertainment. Ride on the bullock carts along with the villager's into the agricultural fields. See them carrying fodder for animals into the buggies. You can even take the camel ride to explore the village and the surrounding areas. Cow Milking :

Cow milking is real exciting activity, which can't be escaped. Practice the art of cow milking from the villagers. Feed the cows with the fodder and chapatis. See how the rural womens cook food on the chulas made of mud. Taste the authentic rural cuisine and drink fresh milk of cow.

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Villages are expert in making the handicrafts, it is something which is passed on from their one generation to the other. You can carry some of the items back to the home as the momentum. Village fairs and festivals :

You can also participate in the village seasonal harvest fair and festivals. Onam, Baishaki and Pongal are some of the village most famous harvest festivals. Than you can enjoy the traditional dance and music performed by the villagers on such occasions. You are advised to respect the local tradition and please do not take out the photographs without permission as the villagers are quite conserve and orthodox.

Agri Tourism is to experience the real rural life, taste the local genuine food and get familiar with the various farming tasks.. Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. Around 85 percent of the population is directly or indirectly dependent on Agriculture and almost 26 percent of Indias GDP comes from Agriculture. 90 million farmers are dwelling in 6.25 lac villages producing more than 200 MT of food grains feeding the country. More than a profession or a business, agriculture is Indias culture. Hence, adding additional income generating activities to existing agriculture would certainly increase contribution of agriculture in the national GDP. Serious efforts need to be made in this direction and Agri-Tourism is one such activity.

Tourism is termed as an instrument for employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development. During 1999-2000, direct employment created by tourism was 15.5 million. Besides, tourism also promotes national integration, international understanding and supports local handicrafts and cultural activities. During 2000, the number of foreign tourists that visited India was 26.41 lac. Indias share in world tour market is just 0.38 percent. With this meager share, foreign exchange earned is Rs.14,475 crores. Turnover in domestic tourism is much more than this. To promote domestic tourism, thrust areas identified by Government of India are development of infrastructure, product development and diversification, development of eco-adventure sports, cultural presentations, providing inexpensive accommodation, streamlining facilitation procedures at airports, human resource development, creating awareness and public participation and facilitation of private sector participation. In this process, important stakeholders are State and Central department of tourism, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Tourism Development Corporations, foreign embassies, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Tourists, Transport Operators Association, Indian convention promotion bureau and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). What is Agri Tourism? Agritourism is leisurely activities in the rural areas that help a person understand and appreciate the land and the people who live on it. In recent years, travel has become much more than just ticking through the mandatory list of local museums and sites. Travelers want to slow down when they discover a new destination. They want to meet locals in their natural environments and become more involved with the land they are visiting. With this in mind, agritourism was born. At its most basic level, agritourism is a style of travel that takes place on a farm or ranch and usually offers the opportunity to help with on-site farming or ranching tasks during the visit. It entails a meaningful visit with a producer of land-based products and services. Agri Tourism is however not all about staying in a village and relishing the food, this is an opportunity to be close to where the 75% of Indians live. One of the best things about staying on a farm is that guests can contribute to the place through their

involvement. Our idea is to make tourists live life like a villager, right from milking the cow, ploughing the field, bathing in a well to climbing a tree and plucking fruits. Why Agri Tourism? Mother Nature is open door school without brick walls! If observed carefully one can learn something or the other, moreover India is Agriculturists Country, it is expected that we should know the information related to agriculture. Today urban childrens world has became limited in the closed door school, classes, cartoon programs on the television, video games, chocolates, soft drinks, spicy fast food, computer, internet, and so on, they see mother nature only on television screen. Now it has become very necessary that children know the traditional way of agricultural farming activities, and other businesses dependant on agriculture. Here children come very close to Mother Nature and learn many new things in life...

Why is Agri Tourism important? As commercialism and mass production become the standards by which we live, agritourism has given people who work in the agricultural and horticultural sectors a chance to share their work with the masses. Some agritourism experiences allow guests to buy food products grown on the farm or hand-crafted products made by the farmers families; purchasing these goods helps provide ranchers who rely on their land with another source of income. Home and consumer education has given way to technology courses in middle and high schools, and many children grow up without ever really knowing what the countryside is or what its like to interact with live farm animals. Agritourism, therefore, gives parents the opportunity to introduce their children to something other than the city life.

Agri Tourism Benefits The potential benefits of agritourism development extend to farmers, rural communities, and tourism operators.
Benefits for Farmers :
For farmers, agritourism is a potential way of :

expanding farm operations;

 using farm based products in new and innovative ways; improving farm revenue streams; developing new consumer market niches; increasing awareness of local agricultural products; increasing appreciation of the importance of maintaining agricultural land; channeling additional on-farm revenues directly to family members; improving farm living conditions, working areas and farm recreation opportunities; developing managerial skill and entrepreneurial spirit; and increasing the long term sustainability for farm businesses.
Benefits for Communities
From a community perspective, agritourism can be a vehicle for :

generating additional revenue for local businesses and services from tourists; upgrading / revitalizing community facilities for residents and visitors; increasing protection of rural landscapes and natural environments for tourists and residents;

helping preserve and revitalize local traditions, art and craft; promoting inter-regional, inter-cultural communication and understanding; increasing awareness of agricultural issues and values among the public; promoting the on-going use of local agricultural products and services; helping to diversify and strengthen the rural economy via job and income creation; and providing a more energetic business environment for attracting other businesses and small industries.

Benefits for Tourism Operators

From a tourism industry viewpoint, agritourism can be a means of:

diversifying the mix of tourism products and services available to visitors; increasing tourism flows into attractive rural regions; increasing season length during traditionally off-peak business periods; uniquely positioning rural regions in key tourism markets; and bringing more non-local currency to local businesses.

Agritourism Information Agritourism travel information includes listings of local convention and visitors bureaus to help you plan your Agrotourism vacation. Agritourism blends entertainment, education, and tourism together to provide a fun, exciting, and memorable get-away for school trips and family outings. Agriculture and tourism together present unique opportunities for farmers to diversify and expand their operations. Information Resources An effective Agritourism Resource Centre provides leadership in the development and distribution needed to support the development of competitive agritourism products and

services. This information should relate to specific planning, development, and management issues deemed to be particularly important to key stakeholders. An important role of the Centre(s) should be to actively work with its partners to establish these priorities. Research suggests that such information needs relate to several recurring themes. These include: understanding agritourist markets and their behaviours assessing agritourisms fit with current farming operations improving farm revenue streams; dealing with government policies; addressing financial considerations; establishing effective marketing programs; developing customer friendly service programs; creating responsive risk management programs; establishing credible product and service quality standards; building strategic partnerships; and managing niche agritourism product development opportunities

Basic Principles of Agri Tourism Agri Tourism should ensure that some basic principles must be followed. Have something for visitors to see:- Animals, birds, farms and nature are the few things which Agritourism could offer to the tourist to see. Apart from these, culture, dress, festivals and rural games could create enough interest among forest in Agri-tourism. Have something for visitors to do:- Participating in agricultural operations and swimming, bullock cart riding, camel riding, buffalo riding, cooking and participating in the rural games are the few activities to quote in which tourist can take part and enjoy. Have something for visitors to buy:- Rural crafts, dress materials, farm gate fresh agriculture products, processed foods are the few items which tourist can buy as memento for remembrance.

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Entertainment in Agri Tourism

Agri-tourism offers the tourist many joyful experiences while living in rural environment. Agri-tourist involvement in milching, harvesting competitions, tree climbing, edible adventure, bullock cart race, buffalo race in wet fields namely Kambala in Karnataka, shooting a coconut target, fishing etc. could generate enormous joy atleast cost. There is enough scope to charge entry fee to farmers, providing feed and accommodation on payment basis and charging the participation of Agri-tourist during rural games would also generate income to the farmers. Some successful entertainment farming enterprises and techniques in Agri-tourism International experiences. Agri-tourism is a viable income generating activities in many developed counties which would provide lead to promote the same with modifications suiting to our conditions. They are: Arts & Crafts Demonstrations. Farm Store : Exhibition of farm equipments Roadside Stand selling fresh farm products and craft items Processing of farm products and sale Demonstration of Agri-activities Sheep Shearing. Wool Processing. Fee fishing / hunting. Farm Vacations. Bed and Breakfast Farm Tours. Horseback Riding. Camping. Bad weather - like desert, snow fields, heavy rainfall also attract Agri-tourists Picnic Grounds. A shady spot for visitors to rest like a big baniyan tree Educational Tours for school children, officers and progressive farmers Farm Schools to teach a particular skill Outdoor Schools which are mobile in nature teaching agriculture Herb Walks. Workshops on interesting, emerging agriculture topics Festivals with wide publicity and sponsorship Cooking Demos to satisfy housewives. Pick-Your-own Pumpkin Patch. Rent an apple tree. Moonlight activities. Pageants. Speakers who can attract Agro-tourist narrating Agricultural experiences. Regional Themes like tribal coffee of Kerala, Andaman spices etc Crop Art. Pizza Farm.

 Historical Recreations like highlighting a oldest farm etc. Log Buildings. Antique Villages. Collection of old farm Machinery. Miniature Village. Farm Theme Playground for Children. Fantasyland. Gift Shop. Antiques. Crafts. Crafts Demonstrations. Food Sales. Lunch Counter. Cold Drinks. Restaurant. Theme

Important Factors for Agri Tourism There are various important factors which contribute to the success of Agri Tourism. Farmer : Majority of the cases, farmer is less educated, less exposed and innocent. For farmer, any outsider is a guest and treated wholeheartedly without any commercial motive. Treating guest is pleasure for them than pain. He entertains the guest while entertaining himself in the process. He is not like an exploitative natured businessman which itself facilitate a clean tourism atmosphere. Village : Village, which is located far from the city lacks urban facilities, but blessed with natural resources. The investment is made by nature in the form of water bodies, fields, forest, mountains, deserts and islands. Community is more homogenous and treating a guest is part of their culture rather than a profession leading to natural environment required for urban tourist. Agriculture : Rich resources in agriculture namely land, water and plants are unique from place to place bringing diversity and creating curiosity. Each field is unique which adds to the attraction of tourists. The way of cultivation and the products are great attraction to the urban population. Indigenous knowledge of rural people is a wealth, which adds to novelty and curiosity of urban population. Combination of farmer, village and

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agriculture create a wonderful situation which provides unlimited satisfaction to the tourist specially from urban areas.

Gujarat plans to have centre of excellence for agri tourism

Soumitra Trivedi / Mumbai/ Ahmedabad April 25, 2007

After promoting heritage tourism, medical tourism, religious tourism and adventure tourism, Gujarat is planning to promote agriculture tourism in the state. To create awareness and train farmers, the state has planned to set up a Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Tourism. The centre will be developed by Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agriculture University. The centre will be set up at Sardarkrushinagar in Dantiwada of Banaskantha district. The Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Tourism is part of the 14 centres of excellence planned by the Dantiwada Agriculture University. The centre will aim to promote the new concept of agriculture tourism, spread awareness and train students as well as farmers to develop agri tourism spots. R C Maheshwari, Vice-Chancellor of Dantiwada Agricultuire University, told Business Standard, We have planned to set up a centre of excellence for agriculture tourism at Sardarkrushinagar in Dantiwada along with other 13 centres. There is a substantial business potential in agri-tourism as we have noticed an increasing curiosity in urban population towards rural settings. The farmers can facilitate lodging and boarding of these urban tourists at their farms and the tourists can have a first hand experience of rural life. Agricultural tourism can click as it takes urban tourists back to a culture that was pure and close to nature. The rural lifestyle still retains its closeness and connection with nature. While the urban lifestyle has lost that touch. The urban population, especially the young generation, does not know anything about where the food they eat come from or how is it grown. Agriculture tourism can provide them such an opportunity to city dwellers and it can also provide farmers extra income. All they have to do is set up a few rooms in their farms, Maheshwari said, and added, Farmers can supplement their income by offering overnight accommodation, farm visits, nature walks, organic and traditional food as well as other activities to the public. Agriculture tourism is growing fast in the US. Neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Goa are going ahead with the concept of agri-tourism and are getting good response. So why not Gujarat? We have a rich rural culture which can be exploited as a business opportunity, said Maheshwari. He, however, did not specify a time frame for the completion of the centre saying that it is still in the planning stage. Maheshwari informed that the Dantiwada Agriculture University already offers a project to its students known as Rural Agriculture Work Experience. In this project, students actually spend six months in villages with farmers and learn their problems and lifestyle.

The other 13 centres of excellence planned by the university include Centre for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Centre for Dairy and Food Technology, Centre for Moisture Conservation and Micro-Irrigation Desertification, Centre for Floriculture, Centre for Mushroom Cultivation, Centre for Durum Cultivation and Export, Centre for Modernisation of Seed Spices Industries, Centre for Modernisation of Isabgul Industries and Centre for Modernisation of Pulse Industries among others. Of these 14 centres of excellence, two will be set up with support from the Gujarat Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, nine centres with other state and central departments, while the remaining three will be set up in public-private partnership mode.

Pandurang Taware is reaping rich from his agri tourism model .....Tapash Talukdar & Ashish Agashe For Pandurang Taware, being a son of the soil takes on a very literal and personal meaning. Born into a farmers household, he chose to pursue a professional career in tourism instead. Seventeen years later, Taware made up for lost time and returned to start a business that combined his tourism experience with his entrepreneurial passion and a desire to connect with his roots. Today, the 39-year-old chief of the Agri Tourism Development Corporation has carved out a niche for himself by pioneering the concept of agri-tourism in India. Since he started this business four years ago, nearly 50,000 guests have flocked to his farms in Baramati, Maharashtra to spend a holiday, and learn a thing or two about rustic living. Taware struck upon this idea in 2000 and spent another five years to give it a formal shape. The most important part was to understand the psyche of the urban guest and teach soft skills to the farmers so that they could serve guests better, he says. A market research firm was hired to poll over 5,400 respondents in cities on their readiness and interest in such an idea. Once the concept and business model were ready, Taware took the plunge. A sum of Rs 10 lakh Taware had saved in his job, was ploughed-in as seed capital for the business, which began operating out of a farm in his hometown Baramati in Maharashtras Pune district. Initially, Taware and his family fully owned the business. Later, the farmers on whose land the business expanded, were offered equity in the venture. The business achieved break-even in the first year and has now grown to three sites in the vicinity of Baramati. It has served over 48,000 tourists until now, doing business of over Rs 1.5 crore with 25-28% in gross margins. The best part about this business is that we do not spend much on creating infrastructure. Guests pay us to have a look at our farms and how they function, says Taware. At Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 per person per night, guests get to experience activities like milking a cow, plucking fruits from trees with farmers, visiting fields of various crops like sugarcane and millets (depending on the season), visiting a jaggery-making unit, wineries, swimming in a pond or bathing near the well or a visit to a silkworm rearing farm. Adding to the fun is traditional food and a folk arts show comprising of music and dance in the evenings. Yet, Taware says, the most exciting side of the business is its social aspect. Farmers who solely depend on one or two crops a year for sustenance, get a supplementary income. This is an attempt to make a living in the countryside more sustainable for a farmer so that his future generations are not forced to migrate to urban areas for livelihood, says Taware. However, ATDC is different from other businesses in one respect. A farmer will not be able to carry out his daily chores if the guests exceed a certain number. In such cases, we open a newer site for operations. Our idea is clear: the tourism business is supplementary and a farmer must get a majority of his revenues from his core activity. If he doesnt, we will be doing injustice to our guests. We do not want to function like a resort. Being a fore-runner in this model, Taware has been invited to present his concept at leading institutes such as the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) and has already taken over the mantle of

increasing the footprint of the business. As the concept requires land holding that is upwards of five acres, Taware got groups of farmers to come together and start co-operatives. So far, Taware has been successful in forming seven such agri-tourism focussed co-operatives and led the launch of the Maharashtra State Agri and Rural Tourism Cooperatives Federation (MART), an apex body, this year. Besides Baramati, MART affiliated members operate at 72 dedicated sites across Maharashtra, which has benefitted over 300 farmers. Now, farmers from Punjab and Gujarat are also replicating the model after a visit to ATDC. The way ahead for ATDC, Taware says, is to expand into arid regions like Madha situated close to Baramati so that people of the backward region also benefit from the indigenous model. As for MART-whose affiliates registered a turnover of Rs 30 crore collectively last year--efforts are on to take the total number of sites to 250 by 2010. Pandurang Taware, head of Agri Tourism Development Corporation

Agri-business policy seeks to revamp agriculture. The number of farmers opting for agriculture is dwindling due to problems such as irregular rains, inefficient finance to indemnify loss and several such issues.

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TAKING A CUE from the success of agri-tourism in Maharashtra and Kerala, now the Gujarat governments Agriculture and Cooperation Department has taken its first step forward to replicate the model and promote and develop such tourism in the state. Making a firm start in this direction, the state agriculture ministry has drafted a Agri-Business Policy 2008, with special focus on promoting agricultural development and creating opportunities in rural areas Gujarat state agriculture minister, Dilieep Sanghani said, "Agri-business policy seeks to revamp agriculture. The number of farmers opting for agriculture is dwindling due to many problems such as

irregular rains, inefficient finance to indemnify loss and several such issues. This policy has been drafted to provide new employment opportunities to farmers and agri-tourism will provide them a set of important opportunities to attract tourists; domestic as well international and earn additional revenue." Anand Agriculture University, vice-chancellor Prof MC Varshneya said, "With Gujarat already being a popular destination, agri-tourism will give a boost in increasing the numbers of tourists coming to the state and create opportunities for farmers to have an off-season earning from this business. Kankanpur in the Panchmahals district is in the pipeline for development as agri-tourism business." He added "Anand Agriculture University has received a grant of Rs. 27 crore for establishing a college of Agriculture Engineering in Godhra. The college would include department of soil-water engineering, farming machineries, agriculture process engineering and bio-energy. The soil-water engineering department will be working on developing water bodies and agriculture process engineering department will develop flower-beds. Areas in Kankanpur offers two fold opportunities - practical for students and development of the agri-tourism. Its in the initial stages and we want corporates to join in commercially developing in agri-tourism.
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Ismail Darbar joins BJP in Gujarat Director sales and marketing Agri-tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) of Maharashtra, Pandurang Taware, said, "Agri-tourism involves visiting a working farm or any agricultural or horticultural operations for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the farm activities. This project was introduced four years ago and today ATDC has compiled a directory of agri-tourism farms, which lists 52 such destinations in Maharashtra. An ATDC study indicates that the Indian agri-tourism industry could generate Rs 4,300 crore in business while the global agri-tourism market is $10 billion USD. The concept is popular in developed countries like Australia. ATDCs project in Malegaon village in Baramati has recoded sales of Rs 30 lakh with 13,200 tourists visiting the spot last year, said Pandurang Taware, director, sales and marketing ATDC. Buoyed by the success of Malegaon project and further potential, ATDC plans to have 250 such locations in Maharashtra in two years. To woo more travelers, today, agri-tourism packages come with extra features like folk dances, art and crafts, Taware said, adding that such tours demystifies tourists pre-conceived notions and in fact finds it more exciting as ATDC offers many other features including basic facilities. Ivano Fucci, assistant manager of Indo-Italy Chambers of Commerce said, "The size of agri-tourism business in Italy is more than 600 million Euros. The share of agri-tourism share in total tourism industry is 15 per cent and summer is the peak time generating revenue of approximately 602.5 million Euros. The Italian government has enacted law in the year 2006, which presents all the rules and rights of farmers in the business of agri-tourism. Agri-tourism in Italy is promoted by the tourism board, which includes rural promotion