South Gujarat farmers start benefitting from DFCs

SURAT : A goods train exclusively for carrying Chiku (sapota) fruits of South Gujarat to Delhi arrived at New Ancheli station of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor of Indian Railways. 350-tonne Chikus were loaded in 15 bogies on this train. Navsari – Gandevi area’s 10 mandli and one Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) benefitted from this service.

Gandevi taluka is famous for its Chiku fruits. Amalsad, Ajrai, Gandevi, Dhanori, Kharel, Gadat, Manekpor, Vedchha, Abrama, and Navsari Mandli and APMC purchase Chiku from farmers.

The fruits then travel to North India’s Delhi and other markets in trucks. However, the process takes 32–34 hours, which causes a huge waste of fruits en route.

With trains operating on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, the fruits reach Delhi in just 24 hours. The centre has allocated a special train for Chiku after successful trials on the Mumbai – Dadri freight corridor.

The train will run three days a week and offer lower transport costs compared to trucks.