Kerala, being an agriculture dominated State, has tremendous potential for developing Farm Tourism in a big way without much additional investment. The State has more than 1/3rd of its cropped area under tea, coffee, rubber, pepper, cardamom and ginger plantations, and another 1/3rd under coconut plantations. About 3,50,000 lakh hectares of land is under paddy cultivation. With minimum intervention, these can be converted into tourist attractions in order to transfer the benefits of tourism directly to the farmers.

As a step towards this, Kerala Tourism has launched Green Farms Kerala’. An exclusive venture that aims at preparing the farms/plantations in the State to receive tourists, the project will revitalise the agriculture sector, while enhancing tourist arrivals to God’s Own Country.

Who Can?

If you are an individual or a group owning at least 10 acres of farm or 50 acres of plantation at or near a tourist centre, or along an established tourist circuit or major transport corridor, be a part of Kerala Tourism’s ‘Green Farms Kerala’ and harvest the benefits of tourism.

The Potential

Green Farms Kerala opens up for you a new world of opportunity especially in the context of the gaining popularity for experiential holidays.

From conducting farm tours to enabling tourists to be a part of the daily activities in the farm, from showcasing and selling farm produces to offering visitors a taste of the local cuisine the project helps you to generate additional income from your farm/plantation. All you have to do is develop your farm and add on a host of facilities as prescribed by Kerala Tourism.

Additional income opportunities

• Farm visits
• Trekking, boating, fishing etc.
• Canoe rides, elephant rides, bicycle tours etc.
• Participation in farm activities Bird & butterfly watching
• Sale of farm produce and value-added products
• Sale of local products
• Food counters

Essential components

• Minimum 10 acres of farm/50 acres of plantation
• Parking area
• Development of entry area
• Ticket counter, guard room, gate, name boards etc.
• A compound wall at the entry area
• Stalls or shopping area outside or inside the farm
• Restaurant/coffee shop/snack bar
• Walkways, signage etc. within the farm
• Toilet facilities inside and outside the farm
• Brochures

Optional facilities

• Renovation of existing accommodation facilities
• Development of new accommodation facilities exclusively for the tourists
• Interpretation center
• Souvenir shops
• Tourist information center
• Communication center
• Product conversion units
• Industrial units for the by-products
  The above list is not exhaustive and innovative facilities can be added to make the farms/plantations more attractive.

The Components

The farms/plantations under Green Farms Kerala will be converted into tourism products by adding several components – essential and optional – in order to make them more tourist-friendly and to enable owners to get the most out of them.

The Support

As a participant of this project, you will enjoy a host of benefits and advantages including promotion of the brand by the Government.

Post-implementation assistance and monitoring: To ensure the sustainability of the approved Green Farms Kerala units, there will be a permanent mechanism that monitors their activities.

Incentive & subsidy: An incentive to the tune of 25% for the additional specified facilities targeting exclusively at the tourists, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5.00 lakhs. Subsidy will be given to the units only after the completion of the project and approval by a committee.

Availing of loans: Kerala Tourism will facilitate the farm/plantation owners in getting loans from commercial banks at the lowest rate.

Promotional support: All units under Green Farms Kerala will be marketed by Kerala Tourism through the print and electronic media. The units will also be promoted through the Kerala Tourism website as well as the tourism trade fairs and road shows organised by the Department of Tourism from time to time.

Capacity building: Training for qualitative improvement will be provided to those persons interacting with tourists through institutions like the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), Food Craft Institute, the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (IHMCT) etc.

Selection Procedure

Green Farms Kerala units will be selected by a committee appointed by the Government for the purpose, based on the following.

• Location of the farm and its accessibility
• Type and extent of the farm/plantation
• Present condition of the farm/plantation
• Present attractions
• Potential for developing tourist facilities
• Concept/plan for development

Those who are already in the field of tourism will be given preference.

Investment requirement

No specific quantum of investment has been stipulated by the Department. Investment will depend on the facilities being set up, and will therefore be more for units that provide accommodation.

How to apply

The downloaded application form should be duly filled and submitted to the Director, Department of Tourism, Park View, Thiruvananthapuram 695 033 with all necessary attachments. A Demand Draft for Rs. 1000/- drawn in favour of the Director, Department of Tourism and payable at Thiruvananthapuram should be enclosed along with your application.