NASHIK: Ever since the introduction of the first Kisan Rail on August 7, 2020, from Deolali, 7.87 lakh tonnes of agricultural products have been transported so far in 2,352 trips of Kisan Rail on 167 rail routes by Indian Railways.
The Kisan rail has become a medium of prosperity for the farmers of the country, who send their agriculture products, like fruits, vegetables, maize and other crops and products. It saves times from loading to delivery due to fast service from one corner to another corners and markets, resulting into a major boost to ameliorate the economy of farmers.
Advantage to the state
On February 3, 2022, Central zone had completed 1000 trips of Kisan Rail. Earlier in 2021, farmers in Maharashtra had loaded about 4,54,433 tonnes of agri-commodities. Kisan Rail had transported 5,98,033 tonnes of agri produce last year. Of this, Maharashtra transported 76 per cent produce. Commodities transported through Kisan Rail include oranges, onion, potato, banana, mango, tomato, guava, pomegranate, custard apple, capsicum, chikoo, carrot, garlic, etc.
Potential circuits for movement of vegetables, fruits and other perishables were identified in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and State governments. The local bodies, agencies and mandis were involved in the process. Rakes are provided on priority for running of Kisan Rail services on the basis of demand.
Kisan Rail trains are operated as part of parcel services, and the operational expenses exceed the revenue from these services. In the current year, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) had allocated Rs 50 crore as subsidy for transportation of fruits and vegetables through Kisan Rail. However, Railways has already disbursed Rs 98 crore as subsidy up to January 15.
