Buy And Sell

Donning a fancy, ‘Calfornia’- inscribed cap, Sidesh is busy extolling the virtues of organic products to a group of Russia tourists. Nothing unusual, except that the 25-something lad from Ponda is conversing with the wide-eyed Rusis in their native tongue….

Lingo aside, the locale too is ‘odd’; far from the burstling beach belts of North and South Goa, and deep into the thickly wooded spice plantations along the east Goan city of Ponda, which have increasingly found a place on the tourists’ itinerary. “Until a few years ago, we felt that we had completely missed Goa’s tourism boom,” says Madhav Sahakari of Sahakari Spice Farm, the largest in the business. “Thanks to rising green movement, the westeners are taking a break from the jaded beach tourism to visit our organic plantations and spice farms.”

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“We were confident that sooner or later Goa’s dense forests and lush green plantationswill hook the holiday-makers looking beyond the sun-soaked beaches,” asserts Shetye.

The patience paid off. Last year, Sahakari Spice Farm attracted more than 70,000 Indian and Overseas visitors, and has targeted the magical no. of one lakh footfalls by 2010, when it completes a decade in agro-tourism…

Hidden away from the tourist hotspots, the serene spice farms produce many of India’s farmed spices including cinnamom, black pepper, vanilla, nutmegs, cardamom, cloves, turmeric and others. In addition, they cultivate cash crops like coconut, cashew nuts, and a variety of fruits such as pineapples, mango, papaya and jackfruit among others. No pesticides are used and compost materials include sugarcane waste, cow dung, poultry and fish manure…

Each farm has created a niche by offering add-ons. Pascol Spice Village, lined along the bank of the meandering Khandepar river offers excellent boating, rafting and fishing opportunities. Visitors can also stay overnight in comfortable cottages built on the banks of the scenic river…

Sahakari Spice Farm showcases a bio-gas plant, a cashew processing factory and a feni distillation unit. The farm has a well-stocked organic spice shop too. A big attraction at Sahakari is its elephants - for rides and for allowing the guests to bathe them too.

Author: Anoop Babani Source: Business India

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