Mr. Prathamesh Samant, Founder, Maachli Farm stay, Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, explains how agro tourism is a profitable business.
Konkan region is a beautiful place with nice farms, rivers, grasslands, and various types of ecosystems. There is lot of potential for Agri tourism in this area. It all started as retirement plan of my father and mother as they rented out two rooms of our house without any initial investment. We started taking care of guests by taking them for walks, fishing, and visits to beaches.We started getting good response for our work through word of mouth and that’s when we thought of venturing into a farmstay. I did my course in hotel management in Hyderabad, and then started Maachli Farm stay.
The cottages are conceptualised as Maachli.Maachli is the traditional term for the huts made by farmer to take care of the plantations. It is a nice place for a farmer to stay and do farming. Earlier farms used to be far away from houses, without any transportation, and so farmers had no choice except to go and stay there. Some human presence was there to chase away the wild animals from the fields. We started this as a small hut and shifted guests here. Soon we started getting good response, and most of the things were taken care of by nature. We have dense farms with coconut, betelnut, spices, and mango trees in our plantation. A beautiful stream is also running near the farm. Most of the people come here through word of mouth.
We transformed a part of our farm into a venture called Maachli Farm stay on a different scale. We have won many awards like World Tourism Award in 2017 in coordination with MTDC Incredible India Government of India. In 2018, we got Outlook Responsible Tourism award, with 300 entries, and we got the gold medal. It was a significant achievement, and also we won Best Rural Homestay Award by MakeMyTrip in 2022. Noteworthy is the visit of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar who celebrated his 50th birthday with us and posted the same in his Instagram handle. Such things keep us going, and this is the power of homestay, power of farmer, and power of being connected to earth. This has inspired the whole homestay industry. Hospitality industry is usually associated with hotels and resorts, but the main feature of our homestay is the informal hospitality. In my course of hotel management, I was taught very formal and different rules that need to be followed in hotels with guests. But homestay is a different experience, and I see lot of homestays where it gets people from city moving to village. But when a caretaker is allowed to take care of the guests, that is the main mistake of a homestay. Farm stay is a profound hosting profession, a performing art where the person performs in front of crowd and audience and guests every day. We may get different guests coming in every day, we have to present ourselves, our ideas, and reach out to their hearts. This is the main component of homestay. We should make the guest feel it is his home, so it is important that we go and host the people with all the hosting skills and make it a comfortable homestay.
When UNWTO did a survey a few years ago with one percent of the rich and creameclass of total tourist population, they were asked if they preferred experience or luxury. Surprisingly 83% of the people preferred experiential tourism to luxury tourism. They wanted experience that was outstanding or out of the box. So there is lot of market for experiential tourism homestay, farm stay, farm life, etc. When we see the hotels, the facilities ,services and amenity a legacy and luxury. The simple life of a farmer can also be a tradition legacy and heritage. That can also get a good return on investment, there is no need to undersell the rooms, and there is enough class who would be willing to pay for the experience.
In our farm stay, we have a dense plantation of many trees, many different and rare varieties of birds visit the plantation, and a stream runs through the farm. It is a micro climate which is different from the climate outside. One can see the difference when he comes inside. Many people think Konkan is hot, and one cannot stay here without Air conditioner. But such people are also surprised when they come in April and find its so soothing. . The property is magical, and the cottages are also designed in the same way. We sprinkle water all over the farm and on the roof top to keep the cottages cool and comfortable. The cottages are cross-ventilated and allow air to flow inside the cottage. All rooms are spacious with basic modern amenities. The cottages are summer and environment friendly. We also promote things such as taking well water bath, wearing clothes that protect from heat, keeping hydrated, and going out after 4 pm to explore
On the architecture part, we have not hired any architect or interior designer to come up with specific designs. We had it in mind, had lot of discussions with local carpenters and artisans and made up the structure which is very good looking. We never had any professional deadlines. My whole family is involved in this business, food being prepared by my wife and mother with special effort of going into the wild, bringing wood, light chulas. We cook in earthen pots and serve meals in leaf plates making it experiential. We serve only the ethnic food, my mother and wife meet the old people from the community to learn old forgotten receipes.. I have many guests coming from far away places just for the food.
When we started the farm stay, we knew it was a move towards sustainability, to sustain myself at the basic level. The power of farm stay is staying at the roots, working in our fields, and hosting guests. In the last 10 years, we have planted about 5 to 6 thousand trees anticipating there will be requirement for forest conservation, agriculture, and farm which is now called agroforestry. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese scientist invented Miyawaki forests where the trees that are ten years old look like 100 years old and are dense. He plants trees close to each other, they fight for light and grow up. There are many such Miyawaki forests in Japan, and India it has just started. We should preserve forests which are preserved by communities for medicinal plants that are useful to them. There is also need for water conservation, and during rainy season, we put small temporary dams which helps the plantation for at least 1 km stretch, which is highly helpful to the farmers. This boosts the ecosystem of the place with birds and animals coming in. we have built a bridge that connects the community in monsoon seasons when there is emergency situation of flooding and when they need medical help.
We also do rain harvesting here, so there is no water shortage. We try to revive the forgotten arts such as pottery, we take our guests there, they take part in it. We have one potter who gets good income through pottery. 80 to 90% of our workers are women which helps them in villages and to improve the society. We have good activities, morning plantation walk, take part in plantation activities, go to grasslands and show them pottery and visit beaches. Tarkali is a well known tourism spot, and there are many more beautiful beaches which are not yet explored much. It is emotionally compelling for us to be associated with this concept and experiential agro tourism.
My best advice would be to start slowly, not to go for big and fancy things as it worked for us. Homestay has to be different from a hotel and a different concept. It can pull a lot of city dwellers to you. Sustainability can be on different levels, personal, family, and level of society. We have to nurture nature, grow forests in sustainable way. All the farmers can get good price for their products, there can be many processing units, sell the processed goods. We also sell lot of nutmeg, cinnamon, and we have a healthy market for mangoes which are done in organic way. Guests will definitely enjoy the micro climate here, watch natural things being used, and take part in cooking demo process which is very attractive to them. Though we are blessed with nature in plenty, there is lack of interest, and so not much is happening here in spite of having lot of scope to shape things the way we want.
How can traditional farming practices be integrated into agro tourism for additional income?
We do lot of traditional practices without any machinery. We make people take part in all the traditional activities such as breaking the coconut, farming, ploughing, and we have to show them how they are done, this is our way of life. A city dweller who left his son to stay with the farmers to learn about the hardships they face, how life is difficult, for them, was surprised to see when he came to pick him up that the boy did not want to go back. He found life fantastic, lot of chirping birds in the morning, eating fresh fruit, going to the farm, swimming in nearby pond and river and playing in the evening all outdoor games. Mainly he enjoyed watching the starlit sky at nights. So we have to showcase our lives in the rural areas.
Are there any specific crops or products that are more profitable for agro tourism venture?
We have a plantation of betel nut, banana, nutmeg, and mango. We are more into showing them the farm, taking them to grassland, how nature unfolds before them, and this is the experience we want to show them.
What steps can farmers take to ensure the safety and satisfaction of agro tourism visitors?
There are certain measures assigned by the government that we should follow. There are certain things that can happen such as snake bites, but it is an accident like it can happen in a city too. We are staying in harmony, and there are no safety issues here.
What are the marketing and promotion strategies that work better for a farmer led agro tourism?
We started in a small way, renting out rooms in our houses. Initially we had no guests, and after 9 months, a travel agent sent some guests. Then many people started coming here. It happens through word of mouth which is more authentic. We can also use methods such as having website, social media presence through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We can communicate our ideas through them related to agro tourism, what exactly we do, and it needs consistency. We can use Google Ads by paying some money. These are generalised tools, but how unique we stand, the appeal, the presence in front of the guests, make the farm stay better and inviting to get distinguished crowd. There is no exact way of reaching out to them, but we can keep posting on social media to attract people.
What permits or regulations should farmers be aware of when starting agro tourism activities? Any tax considerations for farmers into agro tourism?
We should have food and drug license, Udyam Aadhar in Maharashtra, we have agro tourism board that lists these places, verifies authenticity of these places. And each state will have its own board. I am not aware of any such tax considerations for farmers into agro tourism.
What challenges do farmers commonly face when entering the agro tourism industry?
It is self-esteem. People think that farming is a rudimentary way of living, and the city dwellers would not be gravitated to it. We face difficulty when people say that it is not a beach place, and how we could expect people to come. We have beaches here, and like any other business, farm stay also has a market, people can reach out to it, and the main problems are self-esteem, confidence, and education. People lack them. To start small is the basic mantra.
How can local communities and Agri organisations support farmers in Agri tourism endeavours?
There has to be good synergy, sustainability on the society level, personal level, and environmental level. The self help groups can come forward to take responsibility, and that is how it works. they come together, join hands, share experiences, create a good community. Where there is something that we can do, it has to happen at the local level as well, and things will be solved slowly. It will be a journey, an ongoing journey. Problems will come, and it will be sometimes very hard to find solutions, but we have to somehow come forward and help each other. Hosting is more important, we should give 100%, be there, and rest will be taken care of by nature. The host should be present at the stay and not the caretaker.
CONTACT : Mr Prathamesh Samant
Emai: prathamesh.pps@gmail.com
Phone 9637333284
Konkan region is a beautiful place with nice farms, rivers, grasslands, and various types of ecosystems. There is lot of potential for Agri tourism in this area. It all started as retirement plan of my father and mother as they rented out two rooms of our house without any initial investment. We started taking care of guests by taking them for walks, fishing, and visits to beaches.We started getting good response for our work through word of mouth and that’s when we thought of venturing into a farmstay. I did my course in hotel management in Hyderabad, and then started Maachli Farm stay.
The cottages are conceptualised as Maachli.Maachli is the traditional term for the huts made by farmer to take care of the plantations. It is a nice place for a farmer to stay and do farming. Earlier farms used to be far away from houses, without any transportation, and so farmers had no choice except to go and stay there. Some human presence was there to chase away the wild animals from the fields. We started this as a small hut and shifted guests here. Soon we started getting good response, and most of the things were taken care of by nature. We have dense farms with coconut, betelnut, spices, and mango trees in our plantation. A beautiful stream is also running near the farm. Most of the people come here through word of mouth.
We transformed a part of our farm into a venture called Maachli Farm stay on a different scale. We have won many awards like World Tourism Award in 2017 in coordination with MTDC Incredible India Government of India. In 2018, we got Outlook Responsible Tourism award, with 300 entries, and we got the gold medal. It was a significant achievement, and also we won Best Rural Homestay Award by MakeMyTrip in 2022. Noteworthy is the visit of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar who celebrated his 50th birthday with us and posted the same in his Instagram handle. Such things keep us going, and this is the power of homestay, power of farmer, and power of being connected to earth. This has inspired the whole homestay industry. Hospitality industry is usually associated with hotels and resorts, but the main feature of our homestay is the informal hospitality. In my course of hotel management, I was taught very formal and different rules that need to be followed in hotels with guests. But homestay is a different experience, and I see lot of homestays where it gets people from city moving to village. But when a caretaker is allowed to take care of the guests, that is the main mistake of a homestay. Farm stay is a profound hosting profession, a performing art where the person performs in front of crowd and audience and guests every day. We may get different guests coming in every day, we have to present ourselves, our ideas, and reach out to their hearts. This is the main component of homestay. We should make the guest feel it is his home, so it is important that we go and host the people with all the hosting skills and make it a comfortable homestay.
When UNWTO did a survey a few years ago with one percent of the rich and creameclass of total tourist population, they were asked if they preferred experience or luxury. Surprisingly 83% of the people preferred experiential tourism to luxury tourism. They wanted experience that was outstanding or out of the box. So there is lot of market for experiential tourism homestay, farm stay, farm life, etc. When we see the hotels, the facilities ,services and amenity a legacy and luxury. The simple life of a farmer can also be a tradition legacy and heritage. That can also get a good return on investment, there is no need to undersell the rooms, and there is enough class who would be willing to pay for the experience.
In our farm stay, we have a dense plantation of many trees, many different and rare varieties of birds visit the plantation, and a stream runs through the farm. It is a micro climate which is different from the climate outside. One can see the difference when he comes inside. Many people think Konkan is hot, and one cannot stay here without Air conditioner. But such people are also surprised when they come in April and find its so soothing. . The property is magical, and the cottages are also designed in the same way. We sprinkle water all over the farm and on the roof top to keep the cottages cool and comfortable. The cottages are cross-ventilated and allow air to flow inside the cottage. All rooms are spacious with basic modern amenities. The cottages are summer and environment friendly. We also promote things such as taking well water bath, wearing clothes that protect from heat, keeping hydrated, and going out after 4 pm to explore
On the architecture part, we have not hired any architect or interior designer to come up with specific designs. We had it in mind, had lot of discussions with local carpenters and artisans and made up the structure which is very good looking. We never had any professional deadlines. My whole family is involved in this business, food being prepared by my wife and mother with special effort of going into the wild, bringing wood, light chulas. We cook in earthen pots and serve meals in leaf plates making it experiential. We serve only the ethnic food, my mother and wife meet the old people from the community to learn old forgotten receipes.. I have many guests coming from far away places just for the food.
When we started the farm stay, we knew it was a move towards sustainability, to sustain myself at the basic level. The power of farm stay is staying at the roots, working in our fields, and hosting guests. In the last 10 years, we have planted about 5 to 6 thousand trees anticipating there will be requirement for forest conservation, agriculture, and farm which is now called agroforestry. Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese scientist invented Miyawaki forests where the trees that are ten years old look like 100 years old and are dense. He plants trees close to each other, they fight for light and grow up. There are many such Miyawaki forests in Japan, and India it has just started. We should preserve forests which are preserved by communities for medicinal plants that are useful to them. There is also need for water conservation, and during rainy season, we put small temporary dams which helps the plantation for at least 1 km stretch, which is highly helpful to the farmers. This boosts the ecosystem of the place with birds and animals coming in. we have built a bridge that connects the community in monsoon seasons when there is emergency situation of flooding and when they need medical help.
We also do rain harvesting here, so there is no water shortage. We try to revive the forgotten arts such as pottery, we take our guests there, they take part in it. We have one potter who gets good income through pottery. 80 to 90% of our workers are women which helps them in villages and to improve the society. We have good activities, morning plantation walk, take part in plantation activities, go to grasslands and show them pottery and visit beaches. Tarkali is a well known tourism spot, and there are many more beautiful beaches which are not yet explored much. It is emotionally compelling for us to be associated with this concept and experiential agro tourism.
My best advice would be to start slowly, not to go for big and fancy things as it worked for us. Homestay has to be different from a hotel and a different concept. It can pull a lot of city dwellers to you. Sustainability can be on different levels, personal, family, and level of society. We have to nurture nature, grow forests in sustainable way. All the farmers can get good price for their products, there can be many processing units, sell the processed goods. We also sell lot of nutmeg, cinnamon, and we have a healthy market for mangoes which are done in organic way. Guests will definitely enjoy the micro climate here, watch natural things being used, and take part in cooking demo process which is very attractive to them. Though we are blessed with nature in plenty, there is lack of interest, and so not much is happening here in spite of having lot of scope to shape things the way we want.
How can traditional farming practices be integrated into agro tourism for additional income?
We do lot of traditional practices without any machinery. We make people take part in all the traditional activities such as breaking the coconut, farming, ploughing, and we have to show them how they are done, this is our way of life. A city dweller who left his son to stay with the farmers to learn about the hardships they face, how life is difficult, for them, was surprised to see when he came to pick him up that the boy did not want to go back. He found life fantastic, lot of chirping birds in the morning, eating fresh fruit, going to the farm, swimming in nearby pond and river and playing in the evening all outdoor games. Mainly he enjoyed watching the starlit sky at nights. So we have to showcase our lives in the rural areas.
Are there any specific crops or products that are more profitable for agro tourism venture?
We have a plantation of betel nut, banana, nutmeg, and mango. We are more into showing them the farm, taking them to grassland, how nature unfolds before them, and this is the experience we want to show them.
What steps can farmers take to ensure the safety and satisfaction of agro tourism visitors?
There are certain measures assigned by the government that we should follow. There are certain things that can happen such as snake bites, but it is an accident like it can happen in a city too. We are staying in harmony, and there are no safety issues here.
What are the marketing and promotion strategies that work better for a farmer led agro tourism?
We started in a small way, renting out rooms in our houses. Initially we had no guests, and after 9 months, a travel agent sent some guests. Then many people started coming here. It happens through word of mouth which is more authentic. We can also use methods such as having website, social media presence through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We can communicate our ideas through them related to agro tourism, what exactly we do, and it needs consistency. We can use Google Ads by paying some money. These are generalised tools, but how unique we stand, the appeal, the presence in front of the guests, make the farm stay better and inviting to get distinguished crowd. There is no exact way of reaching out to them, but we can keep posting on social media to attract people.
What permits or regulations should farmers be aware of when starting agro tourism activities? Any tax considerations for farmers into agro tourism?
We should have food and drug license, Udyam Aadhar in Maharashtra, we have agro tourism board that lists these places, verifies authenticity of these places. And each state will have its own board. I am not aware of any such tax considerations for farmers into agro tourism.
What challenges do farmers commonly face when entering the agro tourism industry?
It is self-esteem. People think that farming is a rudimentary way of living, and the city dwellers would not be gravitated to it. We face difficulty when people say that it is not a beach place, and how we could expect people to come. We have beaches here, and like any other business, farm stay also has a market, people can reach out to it, and the main problems are self-esteem, confidence, and education. People lack them. To start small is the basic mantra.
How can local communities and Agri organisations support farmers in Agri tourism endeavours?
There has to be good synergy, sustainability on the society level, personal level, and environmental level. The self help groups can come forward to take responsibility, and that is how it works. they come together, join hands, share experiences, create a good community. Where there is something that we can do, it has to happen at the local level as well, and things will be solved slowly. It will be a journey, an ongoing journey. Problems will come, and it will be sometimes very hard to find solutions, but we have to somehow come forward and help each other. Hosting is more important, we should give 100%, be there, and rest will be taken care of by nature. The host should be present at the stay and not the caretaker.
CONTACT : Mr Prathamesh Samant
Emai: prathamesh.pps@gmail.com
Phone 9637333284