KOCHI: If farmstays are becoming a tourist attraction, farm-based theme parks too are cornering their share of visitors. According to N K Kurian, owner, Mango Meadows at Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam, the interesting thing to be taken note of is these parks are being popularised by people who visit them.
“I decided to set up Mango Meadows way back in 2004. However, the idea took off in recent years. The theme park is an agriculture-based business model and was started with an investment of `120 crore,” he said. It is not just farming which is propagated by the 35-acre farm, he added.“Farms like Mango Meadows are a biodiversity park that acquaints people with various wonders associated with nature. The park is a self-sustaining eco-system and has farming, biodiversity park, food and resort all rolled into one,” he said.
“We get more than 1,000 to 1,500 visitors per day. The park not only attracts regular tourists but also students who are doing research on rare plants. These rare plants have been sourced from all over the state and the world,” he said.Actually, we are world record holders, he said. “Nowhere in the world has a biodiversity park been set up on a 35-acre land. We also have been declared as having the most varieties of butterflies. Facilities for Ayurveda treatment and wellness therapy are also available in the park. The food served at the resort is farmed in the farm and prepared by the farmers themselves,” he said.
Kurian said the idea to set up the park came to him when he realised the raw deal that the farmers are being dealt with by the middlemen. “Our park not only offers hope to the farmers but also educates the new generation about the various farming practices,” he said.
Another farm called J-YES Farms located at Neendoor in Kottayam has proved the business model of a farm-based theme park is successful. The park covers various aspects like agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy farming, fish farming, grass farming, medicinal plant cultivation, organic farming, poultry and vegetable farming. The farm also generates 5,000 watts using a windmill.
Hub of biodiversity
Spanning 35 acres, Mango Meadows is a self-sustaining eco-system. It is a biodiversity park and resort rolled into one. It has a collection of rare plants as well as the most varieties of butterflies.