Krishi Udan 2.0: 58 Airports Covered to Transport Perishable Agri Produce

According to information provided by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen (Dr) V K Singh in Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Krishi Udan scheme provides air transportation and logistics support for perishable agri-produce, and 58 airports have been covered under Krishi Udan 2.0.

On October 27, 2021, the Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was announced, enhancing the existing provisions and primarily focusing on transporting perishable food products from hilly areas, North-Eastern States, and tribal areas.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) provides a full waiver of Landing, Parking, Terminal Navigational Landing Charges (TNLC), and Route Navigation Facility Charges (RNFC) for Indian freighters and P2C (Passenger-to-Cargo) Aircraft primarily around 25 airports focusing on North Eastern, Hilly, and Tribal region.

28 airports in other regions to facilitate and incentivize the movement of agri-produce by air transportation. Following the evaluation of Krishi Udan 2.0, five more airports were added, bringing the total to 58.

The Krishi Udan Scheme is a convergence scheme in which eight Ministries and Departments, namely the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and the Ministry of Development of the North-Eastern Region (DoNER), would leverage their existing schemes to strengthen the logistics for agricultural transportation.

Prayagraj airport is currently part of the Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0. In the country, the Krishi Udan Scheme covers all perishable commodities.

The scheme helps farmers transport agricultural products, increasing their value realization. As needed, the Krishi Udan scheme provides air transportation and logistics support for perishable agricultural produce.