Three kg of pomegranate and 17 dozen eggs were among the smallest parcels that were sent through Kisan Rail, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he launched the 100th Kisan rail train, dedicated for moving farmers’ produce.

Farmers can send small-size parcels of 50-100 kg as well, he said adding that these are mobile cold chain infrastructure.

The 100th train -- connecting Sangola (Maharashtra) and Shalimar (West Bengal) – was carrying pomegranate, custard apples, grapes and oranges. With this, farmers, fishermen of West Bengal can access markets in Maharashtra and reverse will also become possible, said the Prime Minister. PM also said that this will increase the income of farmers.

Covering a distance of 2,132 km with more than 400 tonnes of cargo, this train passes though Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha in approximately 39 hours with multiple stops, said railway official sources.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) has recently extended the Operations Greens Scheme, a 50 per cent transport subsidy, from tomato, onion and potato to all fruits and vegetables.

The Prime Minister remarked that the Government’s priority is focussed on storage-linked infrastructure and processing industries associated with value addition in farming products.

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