A first, 24-tonne cherries sent from Kashmir to Mumbai via train
In a first, Railways on Saturday ferried 24 tonnes of cherries from Kashmir to Mumbai via Katra railway station. The move has brought smiles to cherry growers in Kashmir, whose produce will now reach Mumbai in just 33 hours. Earlier, it took six to seven days by road to transport cherries to Mumbai.
The cost of transportation has also been cut by 75%. Another cherry cargo, a parcel rake attached to passenger train, from Srinagar will be ferrying 24 tonnes of cherries on June 3.
This marks a significant milestone in promoting the horticultural sector of Jammu & Kashmir and enhancing connectivity to major markets.
A cherry grower, Ali Mohammad, from Srinagar hailed the railway for providing them safer, quicker and cost-effective mode of transportation to them. 'This is a very good initiative. We were waiting for this facility because the Jammu-Srinagar national highway usually remains shut due to inclement weather. This cherry cargo will help us quickly ferry our produce within 33 hours,' said Mohammad.
He said cherries from Kashmir would now be available fresh to the people in Mumbai, Kolkata and other big cities because of the direct train connectivity. An official of the horticulture department said the planning and marketing wing had tied up with Railways.
'More than 95% cherry is grown in the temperate climate of Kashmir. This facility will immensely help farmers because cherry is the most perishable fruit and hence it needs a quicker and safer mode of transportation,' he said.
The official further said that ferrying fruits from Kashmir via trains will also realise PM Modi's dream of doubling the income of farmers. 'We have offices in Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata where our officials help farmers to connect with mandis for better price of their produce,' he added.
A railway official said cargo rake attached to passenger trains will also cut down transportation cost by 75%. 'In the coming days, we plan to ferry all sorts of fresh fruits from Kashmir to big cities in the country. This move will surely benefit farmers from Kashmir,' he added.
The inaugural shipment that was sent from Katra on Saturday had 24 tonnes of fresh, high-quality cherries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate direct Vande Bharat train from Katra to Kashmir on June 6. The PM had to inaugurate Vande Bharat train on April 19, but his visit had to be postponed due to inclement weather.
Subsequently, Pahalgam carnage unfolded on April 22 that left 26 tourists dead and scores injured that was followed by Operation Sindoor on May 7 and a conflict with Pakistan till May 10.
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