Farm stay tourism needs govt support: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi

New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Thursday, called upon government agencies to promote farm stay tourism to bring urban children closer to nature.

"So many children are growing up in urban environments, completely disconnected from nature. It would greatly benefit schools to send their students for farm stay experiences," she said on X.

Posting a video of her earlier interaction with representatives of farm tourism and homestays at Carmel Agro Farm, Anakkampoyil is a village near Thiruvambady town in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, the Congress leader said, "Farm stay tourism needs proper encouragement and promotion from the government."

In her social media post on X, she added, "This meeting with 27 enterprising farmers, who have come together to start a farm stay initiative was a joy! It was held at a farm owned by a wonderful couple -- Elsie and Dominique."

"Elsie is a font of knowledge on different plants, their uses and cultivation! I told her she is super lucky because she never has to buy anything -- absolutely everything you can think of grows on her farm," she said.

"Each of the 27 farmers I met grows something unique (some of them have won awards for their produce) coffee, spices, fruits of all kinds, some have fisheries, others rear ducks and exotic animals, one gentleman even keeps tarantulas," the Congress leader said, sharing details of her interaction with growers in Kerala.

Suggesting promotion of farm stay tourism, she added that not just school children but adults can also benefit from it.

"Even for adults, this is an intriguing and fun way to learn about and experience farming. At the same time, it would provide a new avenue of income for many small farmers who could do with support," she said.

On Wednesday, the Congress leader had raised the issue of flood relief for Wayanad farmers.

In a post on X, she wrote on Wednesday, "The Central government's refusal to waive the loans of those affected by the devastating Wayanad landslides of 2024 is shocking. Especially while the loans of certain large business houses are waived without hesitation. These loans represent the lives of people who have endured unimaginable pain for no fault of theirs -- they total up to a minuscule amount in comparison."

"The Kerala High Court has said that when people have most needed help, the Union government has failed them. I couldn't agree more," she said.

--IANS

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