Scope for Promoting Agriculture Cum Rural Tourismin Thanjavur District- A Case Study

Background/Objectives: Thanjavur district“the Rice bowl or Granary of Tamil Nadu” is one of the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu in South India and is well known for its domination in agriculture, architecture, music, arts and handicrafts. The author, a native of Thanjavur district, is of opinion that the district have not realized or understood its real potential to promote agro and rural tourism though it has many of the features required. Methods/Statistical Analysis: An exploratory cum descriptive study has been carried out by the author to identify the existing potentials for promoting agro cum rural tourism in the district. Details required for this study were collected from different sections of the society including Government Departments and experts through direct interviews, field visits, focussed group discussions and the findings were summarised and presented in the form of a case study. Findings: It is very clear that there is immense scope available as such to launch immediately the Agri cum Rural tourism in Thanjavur district. The district administration with the help of Govt. of Tamil Nadu and Govt. of India should take immediate steps to launch the project. Applications/Improvements: It is important for the government, society and the affected people to find out alternative methods of income to sustain their livelihood. Launching of “Agri and Rural Tourism” project in the district will benefit all sections of the society and the nation and hence this study assumes greater importance. Scope for Promoting Agriculture Cum Rural Tourismin Thanjavur DistrictA Case Study V. Badrinath*, S. Agalya, G. Abirami, M. Aarthi and R. Aishwarya School of Management, SASTRA University, Thanjavur 613401, Tamil Nadu, India; deanbadri@sastra.edu, Agalyashiva.mba@gmail.com, gabirami23@gmail.com, aarthimathi8@gmail.com, aishur0@gmail.com


Introduction
Indian economy is an agrarian economy and it is a back bone to Indian economy. In terms of farm output, India holds second position in the world. Agriculture and its allied sector like forestry and fishery contributes 13.7 percent towards the Indian GDP 1 . The agriculture sector employs 54.6 percent of the total work force. During the 12 th plan period (2012-2017) 4 percent growth has been targeted. The contribution of agriculture towards the economic growth of the country is declining from 1952 to 2011 due to various reasons including the environmental reasons 2 . The slow growth rate of agricultural sector throws several challenges to Indian economy and Government administration viz poverty, rural exodus, unemployment, farm suicides, poor per capita income and other social problems in the country. Mahatma Gandhi once said "India lives in Villages". India has around 5,25, 000 villages and the study area of this research Thanjavur district has 906 revenue villages and sizeable number of population is even now living in rural areas with less comforts and revenue. Under this background it is important for the country to protect people depending on agriculture living in rural areas by providing them secured livelihood to solve some of the above said problems. Tourism is an important sector which is economically important and is growing rapidly in India and it contributes 6.6 percent to India's GDP and provides 13.95 million jobs which amounts to 7.7 percent of total job creation in India. The tourism in India is expected to grow at an annual rate of 7.9 percent till 2023 making India the third fastest growing tourism destination over the next decade 3 . Thanjavur district known as "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu" accommodates more than 50 percent of its total workforce in the agriculture and other allied activities. Of late, the farmers of this district, both the farm owners as well as the labourers, are facing number of problems in continuing their present occupation due to lack of water supply in river Cauvery, which is the main source for agriculture and depletion of ground water, erratic climate, monsoon failure and continuous loss due to increasing debts in agricultural operations etc. Due to these problems, a large scale exodus is happening in the agriculture sector and both landlord and the labourers are moving towards other sectors like real estates, constructions to get regular income. India which is facing already low growth rate in agricultural production is likely to face food scarcity and increased price of food items. The growing unemployment and poverty is expected to create social unrest in the long run. Under these circumstances it is important for the government, society and the affected people to find out alternative methods of income to sustain their livelihood. Launching of "Agri and Rural Tourism" project in the district will benefit all sections of the society and the nation and hence this study assumes greater importance.

Methodology
This is purely a qualitative and exploratory study. Primary data and information for the study have been collected using interview schedules, during in depth qualitative personal interviews with officials belong to different government departments like agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, tourism in addition to farm experts, agri consultants, leading farm owners, labourers and social thinkers in the district . Secondary data were collected with the help of internet sources, published government reports, press reports, research reports etc. The study was conducted during November and December 2015. A focussed group discussion was also conducted at SASTRA campus on November 18, 2015, wherein 17 experts drawn from different govt departments, artisans, farm experts and folk artists attended and gave their views which were very positive and assured full support and participation in implementation of the project successfully.
From the literatures available in the field of agri and rural tourism it is observed that the agri and rural tourism can benefit various section of the society apart from the farming community 4 . Researchers has observed that "arts and crafts have a special place in the cultural heritage of regions and nations and many commentators have noted that tourism can assist arts and crafts, both by recognizing their importance, and by purchasing craft products. Income flows from these activities are well documented. Not only have the crafts but many factors contributed for the success of agri tourism". IICPA has defined the term agri tourism through an equation i.e. Rural /Natural Environments + Agricultural Products/Services + Tourism Products/Services + Farm Commodities, Processing, Packaging = Agritourism . So it is clear that agri tourism is not visiting farms alone but it combines various other activities also to attract the tourists 5 . Various Researchers have concluded that the agri tourism must: 1. Have something for tourists to see (animals, birds, farms, culture of the village, dress and festivals) 2. Have something for tourists to do (participating in agricultural operations, riding horse, buffalo, cooking and participating in the rural games). 3. Have something for tourists to buy (rural crafts, fresh vegetables, food are few items) 6 . The factors which play important role in the success of any agri tourism venture. These factors were based on their research case study 7 . They are "connectivity among Agro Tourism Centres (ATCs), attractions at ATCs, accommodation facilities, outdoor recreational activities, entertainment programs, food for tourists, safety and security aspects of tourists, medical facilities, risk and liability in case of accidents at ATCs". A scholar stated that, "unique product is essential to the success of an Agritourism business 8 . So goal of business should be to create a unique experience for visitors". A researcher has observed that "each audience you hope to attract will have different needs and expectations and you will need to employ audience specific strategies to attract them" 9 . The coordination between various stake holders of the agri &rural tourism is important for the success. Researcher has also observed that "working together, farm owners and tourism promoters and planners can create a successful agri tourism program out of existing resources and attractions". The agri tourism project planners may have to face few barriers or challenges while launching the project. Researchers in their research study conducted in five districts of Sri Lanka noted that "infrastructure development, relevant training and education for the farmers, access to farm credit, proper measures to waste management, and environment protection methods". Similarly other researchers found out the challenges facing agri tourism. They are "large distance from high population densities to most Kansas farms and ranches. Second problem is lack of agri tourism clusters. Tourists are more likely to travel to a destination if there are several tourist stops to visit. which provides livelihood for considerable population. Agriculture in Thanjavur directly and indirectly affects the people of Thanjavur in business, education, employment, tourism etc. Thanjavur is located in Cauvery delta region and it is the most fertile region in the state. Cauvery River is the major water source for irrigation. Cauvery, grand Ana cut canal (pudharu), vadavaru, vennaru, are flowing through Thanjavur city. There are three agriculture seasons practiced in the district for paddy cultivation.

Crop Seasons
The table 2 gives an idea about the major agriculture seasons followed in the district.

Major Crops Grown in different Regions of Thanjavur
The

Tourist Attractions and arrivals in Thanjavur district
Thanjavur is said to be a cultural capital of the country in 1790 and was a centre of Chola cultural heritage. The district attracts domestic and foreign tourist throughout the year Table 1 gives an idea about the visit of domestic and foreign tourists visited Thanjavur from the year 2008-2015.
Thanjavur district is blessed with several heritage sites apart from wonderful centuries old saivite and vaishnavite temples and churches mosques etc. apart from educational, agricultural historical important sites. Agriculture in Thanjavur is the major occupation

Thanjavur -A Cradle of Unique Art
The agri tourism should have other attractions also to entertain the tourists. The guests may be taken to the important tourist spots in the district, which are listed in table 8.In addition to visiting tourist spots the guests may be taken to handicraft manufacturing units, which will be enjoyed by them. Thanjavur is a cradle of several arts and famous for several unique handicrafts. Bharata Natyam is one of the form of Indian classical dance that originated in the temple of Tamilnadu/Thanjavur. Chinnaiya, Ponnaiyah, Sivanandham and Vadivelu the four "Thanjavur brothers" of the Tanjore quartet contributed immensely for this Carnatic music who were employed in the courts of Maratha king Serfoji-II at Thanjavur. In BharataNatyam Pandianallur style, Thanjavur vazhuvoor, Mysore and Kancheepuram, kalashetra styles are very popular. The trinity of Carnatic music Thiyagaraja, Muthuswami deekshidar, and Shyama Sastri of Thanjavur were the outstanding trios, created a new era in the history of Carnatic music. Thanjavur is famous for making handicrafts items which are unique in characteristic at international level. The following table 9 presents an idea about the locations where the unique Tanjore handicrafts are currently produced. Toursists can be taken enroute to these production delta. Sugarcane and prawn are growing in the new delta regions and banana in padugai region.

Monsoon Seasons and Rainfall data
The district faces four seasons and receives rainfall is depicted in the table 4.From the rainfall data of past 70 years ) observed that the district received a minimum of 936 mm and a maximum of 1175 mm. Again from the past 70 years (1927-2009) atmospheric temperature data it is observed that the district's hottest months are from April to June (35 0 to 36 o C) and coolest months are from November to January (23 0 to 24 o C).

Location of major Agricultural Farms in Thanjavur District
The following table 5 gives the location about major crops is cultivated in Thanjavur which are the potential spots for agri tourism.

Agro Research Institutes, Organic
Farms and Industry. Table 6 gives location of institutes, agro industries and major private farms around Thanjavur.          Table 7 20. Visiting silk sarees/handloom manufacturing units on the enroute. 21. Relaxing in coir cot in coconut or mango farm and playing in swings between the trees during the day time and can add any other activities which can promote business & can provide entertainment and education to the guests.

Proposed Agri Cum Rural Tourism Activities (Both Educational and Entertainment)
The following table 10 provides the list of famous traditional folk dances of Tamil Nadu which could be included to entertain the tourists in the tour. Good number of artists are available in this district to perform these items. Similarly Tamil Nadu is known for certain martial arts which are given in table 11. The trained artist may be asked to give guest performance regularly to tourists in a given site or in the rural resorts during the overnight stay of the guests.
Food is another important element in tourism. There are number of food items unique to Tamil nadu rural areas. They can be served to the guests. Some of the items are given in Table 12.
There are few challenges in launching the project. But proper and systematic planning and execution can help to meet the challenges easily.

Preliminary Support
• Identifying and mapping the overall strengths/ resources available in the district • Identifying the exact /area/village ideal for the visit & for constructing a rural resort through an extensive field study and collecting detailed information about the sites to prepare a master plan

Financial Support
Organizing an exclusive entrepreneur meet on "Agro &Rural Tourism" to promote entrepreneurs in the field and converting the idea in to a profitable business model. From investment angel investors and banks also may be invited to participate in meet. Loans and advances may be granted liberally on priority basis to support the project.  • Visiting, observing and interacting with farm owners, local community, artisans to ascertain their basic interest and securing their preliminary support to the new project. • Preparing an effective tour plan to give "best experience" to the guests with least cost and time.

Infrastructure Support
1. Installing direction boards, information boards in the respective sites both in tamil and english language. 2. Identifying an 'ideal village' to construct a 'rural resort' with all basic comforts viz.. protected drinking water, restaurants, washing facilities, a shopping center, with all the unique Tanjore handi crafts and rural products. Internet /Wi-Fi facility, safety and security, an auditorium for performing cultural shows in the evening, ATM, ,24 x 7 uninterrupted power supply, standby generator etc. 3. Laying proper approach roads, installing sign boards, installing street lamps, providing protected drinking water in all the visiting spots, constructing and maintaining hygienic public toilets in all spots and on en route, adequate dustbins at ever point, providing tasty & hygienic refreshment facility , provision for transporting handicapped and elders (wheel chairs, slopes in buildings).