Agri-tourism to draw tourists, empower farming communities

Visakhapatnam: In a move to strike a balance between empowering farming communities of Eastern Ghats and improving rural economy, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) - Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Chintapalli, is focusing on promoting agri-tourism in the Agency areas on a large scale.

From cultivating a few exotic varieties of flower crops in the station greenhouse on an experimental basis last year, RARS has come a long way in taking the floriculture way forward to push agri-tourism up a notch higher.

Connecting tourists with a slice of tribal life, RARS intends to step up floriculture beyond its station campus and spread its wings to the neighbouring farmlands. In line with this, it has started cultivating flower crops such as Gladiolus, Tulip, Lilium, Chrysanthemum and Gerbera varieties at farmers' fields of Chintapalli.

Crossing three different stages of research, the flower crops, including Gladiolus, Lilium and China Aster, are now grown in Lammasingi farmlands as well. As a part of its research and extension activities carried out in Andhra Pradesh, ANGRAU has been rendering service to the tribal farming communities extending along 37 agency mandals spread over Alluri Sitaramaraju, Parvathipuram Manyam and Srikakulam districts of the state. Led by ANGRAU Vice Chancellor A Vishnuvardhan Reddy, the university is keen on taking the agri-tourism to the next level by spearheading farm-friendly initiatives such as conservation of medicinal herbs, integrated farming system, organic farming, millet museum, honey extraction, tractor driving and bullock cart riding, among a plenty other activities.

"The terrain in Agency areas is quite conducive for contour farming, coffee bean processing and a host of other sustainable practices. Moreover, the high-altitude tribal zone offers an enormous opportunity to explore floriculture potential for sustainable livelihood of the tribal communities. The platform provides a means to empower tribal youths who can consider floriculture a viable alternative source of employment," shares M Suresh Kumar, Associate Director of Research, RARS, with The Hans India.

Currently, five varieties of exotic flowers are grown in different plots. Going forward, farmers will be nudged to opt for a large-scale adoption of flower crops in various parts of the Agency areas.