Indian farmer builds 'tree scooter' to zoom up tall areca palms

MANGALURU - Mr Ganapathi Bhat goes to work most mornings carrying a homemade contraption consisting of a small motor, a rudimentary seat and a set of wheels - all expertly combined to help the farmer in southern India swiftly climb tall trees.

The 50-year-old farms areca nut in the coastal town of Mangaluru in India's southern Karnataka state and has to regularly scale 18m- to 20m-tall trees to harvest his crop.

Too old to climb, and unable to find cheap labour, Mr Bhat said he took it upon himself to invent a device that would make his life easier.

Mr Bhat calls it a "tree scooter".

India is the world's biggest producer of areca nut, with an output of 1.2 million tonnes in 2020/21. Much of this crop is produced along the southern coastal states of Karnataka and Kerala.

"Villagers asked me if I was mad. They had doubts about my invention... whether it would work in the rainy season because the trees would be slippery," Mr Bhat told Reuters at his lush 18-acre farm.

Starting in 2014, Mr Bhat said he spent around 4 million Indian rupee (S$70,824) into research and development. After four years, he and his engineer partner had a working prototype.

Mr Bhat says he has sold more than 300 of the "tree scooters", which cost 62,000 Indian rupee each.

On a recent morning, Mr Bhat strapped on a seat-belt, which is hooked to the handle of this contraption. He then revved up the scooter, zooming up a areca nut tree. High above the ground, Mr Bhat quickly inspected the crop before descending at top speed.

"I feel proud that I did something for the people through this invention," Mr Bhat said. "I feel that my life is complete now."