Acting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suggestion for ‘truck aggregators’, Union Agriculture Minister Narender Singh Tomar on Friday launched the Kisan Rath App bringing together 5 lakh trucks and 20,000 tractors. The App will help farmers and traders in identifying right mode of transportation for movement of farm produce ranging from foodgrain (cereal, coarse cereal, pulses etc), Fruits & Vegetables, oil seeds, spices, fiber crops, flowers, bamboo, minor forest produce, coconuts etc. This App also facilitates traders in transportation of perishable commodities by Reefer (Refrigerated) vehicles. Transportation of agri produce is critical and indispensable component of supply chain.
Tomar, speaking on the occasion, said that under the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country currently due to lockdown, “Kisan Rath App” will ensure smooth and seamless supply linkages between farmers, warehouses, farmers produce organizations’ ( FPOs) APMC mandis and intra-State & inter-State buyers and help in reduction of food wastage by providing timely services.
All these will contribute in better prices for perishable commodities. The Minister said that this App, with the tagline “Kisan ka apna Vahan”, is an important milestone in agri-produce transportation. Officials said that the traders will get to know the farm produce for sale in their areas and they can consolidate the load posted from various farmers and arrange a truck to pick-up all such produce from the farms, it said.
Over 5.7 lakh trucks from five aggregators are listed on the app and more are expected to join. Currently, Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) offer tractors for transportation of Agri produce to the farmers in the vicinity at an optimised cost.