Locally grown produce to hit Northern markets

Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsIn an initiative to popularise the locally grown vegetables in the northern and central parts of the country, the Thiruvananthapuram Division of the Southern Railways has chipped in with a proposal.Tonnes of farmers’ produce will be transported by the trains of the Thiruvananthapuram Division to the states in these parts.The services of the Kerala Express, Island Express and the Rajadhani Express, for the first time in the history of the division, will be used for the same.“Studies show that there is a deficit of the vegetables grown in the state in the North-Indian markets. Thus, we decided to put forward a proposal of carrying the farmers’ produce to such places. Simultaneously, the State Horticorp is also thinking of ways to market the produce to the other states. This will help increase the livelihood means of the farmers double fold. We have signed a deal with Horticorp and the  Horticulture Mission. Currently, the proposal is at the final stages of consideration,” said an official with the Railways.State Horticorp managing director Manoj Kurup said that they are currently awaiting a nod from the state government for starting an outlet for the project at the Kerala House in Delhi. The project will take off soon, he added.Sangam Maithri, a Pallichal-based agricultural products procurement and marketing group is also planning to take the farmers’ produce to Bangalore via the Island Express. This project too is currently on the anvil. According to the officials, at least 4,000 tonnes of vegetables would be carried in each trip once in two days.Once the project takes off, increased revenue to the railways is expected and the project will be extended to other trains and other states in the near future.“The railways has also currently thought of this project as a means to expanding its revenue. The railways is expected to get a revenue of Rs 1.25 lakh per trip,” he added. The Thiruvananthapuram Division has also leased a wagon of the Bangalore-Kanyakumari Island Express in this regard.first published:January 01, 1970, 05:30 ISTlast updated:January 01, 1970, 05:30 IST 
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