The Indian government will trial a dedicated rail service for fruit and flowers in an effort to decrease the amount of fresh produce lost in transit through spoilage.
The Times of India reported that the government had earmarked around US$4m for the initiative that would use a 90-container train running between Mumbai and New Delhi via Bhusawal. Some containers will be refrigerated and the others ventilated.
National Horticulture Board (NHB) managing director Bijay Kumar said the aim of the project was to reduce the amount of fresh produce wasted through spoilage.
“We have sent a proposal to the agricultural ministry for approval and are expecting to launch the trial run in two months, that is sometime in March,” he told the newspaper.
“Initially, one train with 90 containers, that will be part refrigerated and part ventilated, carrying banana, grapes, pomegranate, and flowers, will run from Vashi (in Navi Mumbai) to Azadpur market in New Delhi, via Bhusawal. The train will return from Azadpur market to Vashi via Agra twice a week.”
The project was a joint collaboration between the NHB, the Container Corporation of India and Railways, reported the newspaper.
