Maharashtra's agritourism boom gives farmers a second harvest

Going on holiday in India's big cities can be very expensive and crowded.

So some families now visit farms in the countryside instead – it is called agritourism.

Farmers open their farms to guests, who can eat local food, see farm animals and enjoy village life.

This gives farmers extra money on top of what they get from selling crops.

In the village of Chinchani, women gave their gold jewellery as a promise to get a loan to start a tourism centre.

Their first season was so successful that the village paid back the loan and got the gold back.

Farmers who sell pickles, flour and other snacks directly to visitors earn much more than selling through middlemen.

Visitors also learn that farming is hard work, and they respect farmers more.

The government made rules and offered help, but some farmers say help arrives slowly and their power bills are very high.

Overall, agritourism is giving Maharashtra's farmers a second source of income and a new sense of pride.