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2.5 tonnes on train leaves from pineapple capital to national capital
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SME Times News Bureau | 25 Nov, 2021
A parcel consignment of 2.5 tonnes Vazhakulam pineapples left Ernakulam
by 12617 Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Daily Mangala Express on Thursday,
which is the first time such bulk fruit parcel consignment is loaded in a
luggage cum Brake Van Coach from Thiruvananthapuram Division, Southern
Railway.
Vazhakulam in Ernakulam district is known as the
'pineapple capital' because of the large scale production and unique
variety of pineapples which has now a GI tagged certificate 'Vazhakulam
Pineapples'.
This is a trial run for identifying the logistical
support required for transporting and establishing regular traffic for
pineapples by giving the benefit of Kisan Rail scheme in future.
Incidentally
this happened on account of the association with the Pineapple Farmers
Association of Kerala, State Horticulture Mission and a startup techno
marketing firm Diem Agro LLP which has identified broader markets in the
northern region for the GI tagged 'Vazhakulam Pineapples'.
The
Government of India has introduced Kisan Rail scheme to provide wider
markets for farmers as in this scheme, 50 per cent subsidy is given in
freight for fruits and vegetables.
The subsidy for Kisan Rail
scheme is borne by 'Operation Greens - TOP to Totals scheme' of the
Ministry of Food Processing Industry.
According to James George
Thottumariyil, President of the All Kerala Pineapple Farmers'
Association, the consignment is sent to Diem Agro LLP, an agri business
startup incubated at Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and funded
by RKVY-RAFTAAR scheme under the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
The
startup, co-promoted by Bibin Manuel, is developing online marketplace
for fruit and vegetable farmers to market their produce to interstate
buyers, especially for pineapple farmers in Kerala.
Normally,
pineapple is being sent to north India, one of the largest markets for
the tropical fruit, by road, which takes 5 days to reach Delhi while by
rail, it will reach in 50 hours.
"Thus, we can offer fresh fruits
this time to the market and if the experiment succeeds, we have big
plans to send bigger consignments regularly," said James.
Presently, farmers in Kerala cultivate pineapple in around 18,000 hectares of land and produce 5.5 lakh tonnes of the fruit.
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