The Union Minister of Civil Aviation recently unveiled the Krishi Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) 2.0, an initiative aimed at enhancing the movement of agricultural produce by air. This scheme is primarily designed to augment value realization through better integration and optimization of agri-harvesting and air transportation. The aim is to bolster the sustainability and resilience of the agri-value chain under varying dynamic conditions.
Krishi UDAN: A Brief Overview
Launched in August 2020, Krishi UDAN was introduced on international and national routes to aid farmers in transporting agricultural products, thereby boosting their value realization. The second phase, Krishi UDAN 2.0, will concentrate on ferrying perishable food items from hilly areas, northeastern states, and tribal regions. This scheme will be implemented at 53 airports across the country, with a major focus on the northeast and tribal areas. It stands to benefit a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, freight forwarders, and airlines.
Key Features of Krishi UDAN 2.0
Krishi UDAN 2.0 brings several distinctive features to the table. These include a full waiver of landing, parking, Terminal Navigation and Landing Charges, and Route Navigation Facilities Charges for domestic airlines to promote and incentivize the movement of agri-produce by air. The establishment of a hub and spoke model and a freight grid is proposed to strengthen cargo-related infrastructure at and off airports. Furthermore, it promotes resource pooling through establishing a convergence mechanism in collaboration with other government departments and regulatory bodies.
E-KUSHAL: A Digital Leap
An important component of this scheme is E-KUSHAL (Krishi Udaan for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics), an online platform developed to facilitate information dissemination about the transportation of agricultural produce. The ministry plans to integrate E-KUSHAL with the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) in the future.
Anticipated Benefits
Krishi UDAN 2.0 is expected to herald new growth avenues for the agricultural sector and support the goal of doubling farmers’ income by eliminating supply chain, logistics, and transportation barriers. Moreover, it could help mitigate the problem of food waste in the country.
Other Agricultural Initiatives
In addition to Krishi UDAN, several other farmer-centric initiatives have been launched, including 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), and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).
Agriculture and Aviation: The Convergence
The convergence between agriculture and aviation sectors, or A2A, becomes possible due to three primary reasons: the potential use of biofuel for aircraft in the future, the application of drones in the agriculture sector, and the greater integration and value realization of agricultural products through schemes like Krishi UDAN.
