AGRICULTURE HUB AGRICULTURE TRAINING AND AGRITOURISM CENTRE AT ANKAPUR, TELANGANA

Abstract

Agriculture is the backbone of India Economy. In India, 85 % of the population is directly or indirectly dependent upon agriculture and a vast majority is based in the rural belt. Many farmers face death because of their debts due to failure of crops and many migrate to cities in search of other opportunities. There is a need to develop villages which are pioneers in scientific and sustainable farming methods along with the possession of all modern facilities to tap the potential of scientific farming and channelize it towards the social well-being of rural people without compromising environmental security. Focusing on rural development would solve many problems which are being faced by the country like migration to urban areas, poverty in rural areas, and also the near problems of the future like climate change and food security (IPCC, 2015). Hence, training these farmers traditional and sustainable methods of farming will help them grow economically and be independent. Agri-tourism is the incorporation of tourism with agriculture. It promotes agriculture and allied activities as a tourism product. It is a rural enterprise which incorporates an operational farm along with a commercial tourism element. With the growing interest of gardening and urban farming in cities, integrating a tourism centre with an agriculture training centre will be a good learning opportunity for the people in cities to learn farming techniques when they visit the tourism centre in the village, which as a whole act as a learning hub for agriculture. Integrating agri-tourism centre with the training centre will also make it economically viable and sustainable. The Hub is intended to help reach out to as many farmers, youth and all agriculture enthusiasts as it possibly can. Keywords: Agriculture, Training, Agritourism, Learning, Model Village, Farming, Experiential, Self-reliant