To boost the economy of farmers, the government takes several initiatives. For the upliftment of farmers, another step has been taken in their favor. Recently, the government launched Krishi Udaan 2.0. Farmers need to travel from one location to another to sell their goods. In this journey, they face a variety of problems. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Udan Yojana was established to help farmers get their harvests to market on time.
Under Krishi Udaan 2.0, Cargo-related infrastructure will be built in airports. These airports will be built in the North-East, hilly areas, and tribal areas to help farmers transport their agricultural products.
Benefits of Krishi Udaan 2.0
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that it aims to harness the enormous potential of Indian agriculture with the logistical support of the airline to double farmers’ income. It also aims to lead them to self-sufficiency. Under this scheme, the government has asked states to decrease sales taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to 1% for airlines.
Collaboration of 8 Ministries
Krishi Udaan 2.0 scheme will involve the collaboration of 8 ministries. Each ministry will make a unique contribution. As a result, the farmers will earn more money and can get their products to market faster. The ministry says that Amritsar-Dubai for Babycorn, Darbhanga-All India for Litchi, Sikkim-All India for Organic Produce, Chennai-Vizag-Kolkata to the Far East for Seafood, Agartala-Delhi-Dubai for Pineapple, Dibrugarh-Delhi-Dubai for Mandarin Orange, and Guwahati-Hong Kong for Pulses and Fruits has been identified for the transport.
Food-carrying ports
Under the scheme, food-carrying ports will be built at Leh, Srinagar, Nagpur, Nashik, Ranchi Bagdogra, Raipur, and Guwahati. In addition, the government has identified 53 airports that would be covered by the scheme, the majority of which will be handled by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Krishi Udaan Yojana
The Center announced the Krishi Udan Yojana in September 2020. Under this scheme, if agricultural cargo accounts for more than 50% of the total chargeable weight, airport charges such as parking and terminal navigational landing are waived for air cargo operators at specific Indian airports. The Center has stated that under Krishi Udan 2.0, entire duty waivers will be granted at specified airports, even if agricultural cargo accounts for less than half of the total chargeable weight.
