<p>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 swiftly climb tall trees.</p>.<p>The 50-year-old farms areca nut in the coastal town of Mangaluru in Karnataka and has to regularly scale 60- to 70-foot-tall trees to harvest his crop. Too old to climb, and unable to find cheap labour, Bhat said he took it upon himself to invent a device that would make his life easier.</p>.<p>Bhat calls it a "tree scooter".</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>"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," Bhat told <em>Reuters </em>at his lush 18-acre farm.</p>.<p>Starting in 2014, Bhat said he spent around Rs 40 lakh ($52,824) into research and development. After four years before, he and his engineer partner had a working prototype.</p>.<p>Bhat says he has sold more than 300 of the "tree scooters", which cost Rs 62,000 ($819.02) each.</p>.<p>On a recent morning, 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, Bhat quickly inspected the crop before descending at top speed.</p>.<p>"I feel proud that I did something for the people through this invention," Bhat said. "I feel that my life is complete now."</p>.<p><em>($1 = Rs 75.70)</em></p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>
<p>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 swiftly climb tall trees.</p>.<p>The 50-year-old farms areca nut in the coastal town of Mangaluru in Karnataka and has to regularly scale 60- to 70-foot-tall trees to harvest his crop. Too old to climb, and unable to find cheap labour, Bhat said he took it upon himself to invent a device that would make his life easier.</p>.<p>Bhat calls it a "tree scooter".</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>"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," Bhat told <em>Reuters </em>at his lush 18-acre farm.</p>.<p>Starting in 2014, Bhat said he spent around Rs 40 lakh ($52,824) into research and development. After four years before, he and his engineer partner had a working prototype.</p>.<p>Bhat says he has sold more than 300 of the "tree scooters", which cost Rs 62,000 ($819.02) each.</p>.<p>On a recent morning, 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, Bhat quickly inspected the crop before descending at top speed.</p>.<p>"I feel proud that I did something for the people through this invention," Bhat said. "I feel that my life is complete now."</p>.<p><em>($1 = Rs 75.70)</em></p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest DH Videos here:</strong></p>