An 'horticulture train' that carries banana from Raver, Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, to New Delhi has been discontinued this year, the government informed Parliament today.
To promote horticulture crops, the National Horticulture Board (NHB) under the Union Agriculture Ministry had launched a unique initiative in the form of a 'horticulture train'.
"Only one train was started between Raver to New Azadpur. The train service has been discontinued during current year," Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
This train was commissioned for transport of banana from Raver to New Azadpur jointly by NHB and Container Corporation Limited (Concor) in 2012-13 and 2013-14, he said.
The government is studying the feasibility for long distance bulk movement of horticulture produce. However, railways are meeting the demand for transportation of farm produce as and when such demands are being placed, he added.
The first of its kind in the country, the horticulture train was built to carry fruits and vegetables of all types during all seasons in specially designed containers to ensure proper ventilation for better shelf life of the produce.
