Agri Tourism, a Sustainable Business Opportunity for Farmers to earn extra income and fame/reputation

Agri Tourism is an  supplementary agri business. The main purpose of agribusiness is to promote, facilitate, encourage and support farmers to generate income revenues through agritourism. Every farmer produces farm products through agriculture. They want to live with dignity and earn decent money and reputation from agriculture. However, not every farmer is able to gain the opportunity of earning benefits through agribusiness. This leads to farmers in Maharashtra realizing the importance of agri tourism and are attracted and involved to this viable agribusiness model. Many farmers in Konkan and Western Maharashtra have earned their name and fame through Agri Tourism.

Farmers can earn money and reputation through agri tourism. In the past, farmers were very honored. They were doing pretty well in their business and earned good money. But the current financial situations of the farmers are in miserable conditions for several reasons. They are going through financial hardships. Therefore, farmers sell their farm-produced goods and services from door to door. And the money they are making is not sufficient enough to meet their needs. The changes in the markets due to globalization were not affordable to the farmers. However, it is due to agri tourism, tourists visit the agri tourist centers and pick their own fresh vegetable or fruits of choice from what a farmer offers. Agri tourism business brings money and fame to many hundreds of farmers and a lot more farmers can avail this opportunity too. Since agri tourism is a cashless business, farmers get cash. It also enhances their reputation. Urban and rural relationship seems to get improved. They are at the receiving end of love, respect, pride and honors from the tourists.

Farmers can now manage their livelihood through agri tourism in a much better way. Visitor’s attitude towards rural areas and agriculture is changing. They get the opportunity to experience the real alluring and authentic contact with the village life, taste the local veritable food and get familiar with the many farming tasks during the visit. Tourists visit farms with family, relatives, and friends to explore nearby places, eat local food, buy fresh organic farm grown products. Purchasing these goods helps provide farmers who rely on their land with another source of income.  In short, Agri tourism has great scope. There is no doubt that agri tourism is gaining money and reputation for farmers and will continue to do so.

Translator 

chayanika mahanta