Krishi UDAN 2.0 scheme launched to boost mobilisation of perishable agricultural products

Launching the Krishi UDAN 2.0 scheme to lay focus on transporting biodegradable food products from hilly areas, northeastern states, and tribal regions across the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday assured that the government is committed to doubling farmers income, and for doing that there needs to be a paradigm shift.

"The government is committed to doubling farmers' income. Doubling farmers' income doesn't mean only increasing the value in the market for the product but it also means creating a paradigm shift for the farmers," Scindia said.

Scindia cites govt bid to reach remotest areas for perishable produce

Speaking about Krishi UDAN 2.0, the Minister highlighted the government's attempt of reaching the remotest areas across the country and to search for perishable commodities.

"To penetrate deeper into the hinterland, to be able to provide value especially for perishable commodities, our ministry has embarked on Krishi Udaan 2.0 scheme," Scindia said.

Under Krishi UDAN 2.0 scheme, the Ministry of Civil Aviation will be providing a full waiver on landing, parking, terminal navigation, and landing charges, and route navigation facilities' charges for domestic airlines.

AAI operated airports to work for transporting biodegradable food produce 

The ministry is all set to establish terminals in Leh, Srinagar, Nagpur, Nasik, Ranchi, Bagdogra, Raipur, and Guwahati. The ministry has selected 53 airports operated by the AAI to bear the responsibility of undertaking operations under the scheme.
Scindia informed that apart from these, other domestic and international trade routes will also be made operational under the scheme.

"We have identified Amritsar-Dubai route for baby corn, Darbhanga-to all India for litchis, Sikkim-to all India for organic produce, Chennai-Vizag-Kolkata to far East for seafood, Agartala-Delhi-Dubai for pineapple, Dibrugarh-Delhi-Dubai for Mandarin oranges, and Guwahati-Hong Kong for pulses and fruits," said the Union Civil Aviation Minister.

Meanwhile, Scindia asserted that the government will be working on honing the regulations of the scheme. He pressed the transport industry to note and point out any bottleneck they face in the transportation of goods throughout the country.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had first declared the scheme during her budget speech in 2020. The initiative aims to transport agri-products to national as well as international destinations that will help improve the value realisation of perishable products, especially in the Northeast and tribal districts across the country.

Image: ANI/PTI