Soon,horticulture train for perishable commodities

In its first phase,the train will operate from Delhi to Mumbai via Agra and Surat and will return to Delhi via Jalgaon twice a week.

NHB Pune Managing Director Bijay Kumar said,“Traditionally,fruits like grapes,pomegranate,custard apple and vegetables from Maharashtra are transported to Delhi while potato and apple from North are in demand in Mumbai. The quality of these commodities deteriorates during road transportation as most of these are perishable commodities. That’s why the first phase is being implemented on this route.”

All India Vegetables Growers Association president Shriram Gadhave said,“We are hopeful that this project will bring down the transportation cost of vegetables by 30 to 40 per cent. It would significantly bring down spoilage as well.”

According to the NHB,the train will have GPS system through which growers can get information about the whereabouts of the train. “The location of the train will be updated on the website of NHB and CCI,” said Kumar.

“A train will have about 90-100 containers with a capacity of 15-17 tonnes each. Experts sitting in Delhi will continuously monitor the temperature and ventilation facilities online,” he said. The containers would be built at a cost of about Rs 16 crore while the engines will be provided by the Indian Railways.

Anybody having more than 12 tonnes of commodity will be able to book a container. The charges and the system of bookings are being worked out. The Railway Ministry is also working out the schedule for phase 1.

After the first phase becomes operational,NHB is also planning to launch similar projects for southern and eastern states.