Baramati farmstay near Pune, India
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Indian countryside is blessed with nature’s love. Dense forests, high hills & deep valleys, many rivers flowing across the length & breadth of the country have made India nature’s paradise. But this has to be complimented by planned development in order to generate employment. Acknowledging that traditional farming along with supplementary activities can generate tremendous employment, ATDC Pune has initiated various programmes.
Agri Tourism – Need of the hour
Agro production faces difficulties every now & then. In such circumstances, traditional farming must be supplemented by different agro activities in order to maximize returns. Agri & rural tourism can be an effective tool in these efforts. We are spreading this message for last so many years. If an agrarian country like India aims at economic development, it cannot afford to ignore rural development. ATDC began its efforts to realize the dream from Baramati village.
We have planted more then 2000 trees in and around our farm stays , we harvest rain water for irrigation purpose ,so as to save rain water
Founded in 2005 by Pandurang Taware ,entrepreneur and descendant of a farming community, Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) is a company that facilitates agricultural tourism in the Indian state of Maharashtra. With a stagnating Indian agricultural industry, farmers across Maharashtra are looking at agri-tourism as a means of diversifying business opportunities and securing a viable livelihood.
Following a phase of research and an initial pilot programme in the village of Baramati in 2007, ATDC now has 500 trained farmers and 52 agri-tourism locations across the state of Maharashtra. Since the inception of the programme, farmers across the state have experienced a 25% growth in their income.
ATDC offers farmers free-of-charge agri-tourism training programmes which equip them with the technical knowledge they need to diversify their products and establish small-holding tourism ventures. ATDC advocates a policy of employing local youth in its agri-tourism centres and specifically contracts women for food preparation services through organised Women Self Help Groups. In an area where nearly half the village population do not have any relatives in the same village, ATDC's concept is pioneering in the way it is addressing the migration of rural youth to urban centres. ATDC has established close networking links with Maharashtra state and has been instrumental in securing a preferential loan policy for agri-tourism farmers from the Pune District Cooperative Bank. Furthermore, it pools the farmers' marketing activities and organises an award programme for its agri-tourism centres.
With agriculture becoming a more strenuous and less profitable sector for the majority of the Indian population, Agri Tourism Development Corporation has developed a concept that is leading the the way towards sustainable livelihoods for many farmers and their families.
Community
ATDC mission
“To promote agriculture tourism to achieve income, employment and economic stability in rural communities in India, help boosting a range of activities, services and amenities provided by farmers and rural people to attract urban tourists to their area thus provide opportunity for urban people to get back to the roots”
We have employed each and every person from local community and the center is operated by local farmers , more importantly the entire agri tourism in build by local artisans and skilled people so as to maintain the authentic local flavor for rooms and ambiance.
Rural development through self-employment by Agri Tourism
‘Unless our villages are self-sufficient, our nation cannot progress. We must go to villages in order to achieve development of villages.’ This mantra given by Mahatma Gandhi still holds true & ATDC has come forward to realize Gandhiji’s dream.
Nostalgic mood
Many people now living in cities has spent their childhood in villages. Cold buttermilk in earthen pot, bullock-cart ride, having meal sitting under tree, Hurda party, enjoying the evening breeze… But unfortunately, we do not have time to enjoy these things in modern day urban life and if we do get some time, then we do not have appropriate option. Those who have only read stories about village life in books are deprived of a pure joy.
Everyone aspires to experience this joy and that is what ATDC is working for. It has developed many Agri Tourism centers in Maharashtra. These Agri tourism centers are right blend of rural lifestyle & modern needs. In short, ATDC is working at providing a complete tourism experience to tourists without fatigue.
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