Context
Recently, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation has released Krishi Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) 2.0 to facilitate movement of agricultural produce by air.
About
- Krishi UDAN was launched in August 2020, on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products to improve their fulfillment.
- Krishi UDAN 2.0 will focus on the transportation of perishable food products from hilly areas, northeastern provinces and tribal areas.
- It will be used at 53 airports across the country, especially in the northeastern states and tribal states and will likely benefit farmers, transporters and airlines.
- Opted airports not only provide access to regional domestic markets but also connect them to international gateways of the country.
Key Features
- Waiver: Facilitate and promote agricultural product mobility by aviation by providing complete landing, parking, terminal navigation and landing charges as well as route navigation utility costs at local airlines.
- Hub and Spoke Model: Strengthen Cargo-related infrastructure at and around airports by facilitating the development of the hub and the speech model and the freight grid.
- The hub and spoke model refers to a distribution method in which a centralized "hub" exists.
- Consolidation of Resources: Resources-Integration by establishing a mechanism for integration i.e. working with other government departments and governing bodies.
- It will provide freight forwarders, airlines and other stakeholders with Incentives and concessions to enhance air transportation of Agri-produce.
- E-KUSHAL: An online platform called E-KUSHAL (Krishi Udaan for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics) will also be developed to facilitate the dissemination of information to all stakeholders regarding the transportation of agricultural products.
- The department is also proposing a merger of E-KUSHAL with the National Agricultural Market (NAM).
Expected Benefits
- New Avenues to Agricultural Growth: This program will open up new avenues for the growth of the agricultural sector and help achieve the goal of doubling farmers' incomes by removing barriers to the supply chain, distribution and transportation of farm products.
- Reduce Food Waste: It will help solve the problem of wastage of agricultural food wastes in the country.
Other Initiatives Related to Farmers
- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
- Green India Mission
- Soil Health Card (SHC)
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
- Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
- Sub-mission on AgroForestry (SMAF)
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER)
