The Kisan Express, aka the Mango Express, has resumed its journey from Vizianagaram to New Delhi to supply mangoes to the north Indian markets. So far, thirteen trains have been dispatched, carrying 4,567 tons. In 2022, just seven trains were dispatched as wagons were used for transporting coal. They carried 2,016 tons and railways could earn only Rs 8.83 mln (€98,000).
The Mango Express train carried 10,179 tons of mangoes to New Delhi in 2019, 7,000 tons in 2020 and 4,330 in 2021. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his `Man Ki Baat’ program on May 30, 2021, praised Waltair Division for launching Mango Express that helped marginal farmers.
Sources claim that nearly half of the harvested fruits were sent outside the state and the remaining was sold in the local markets of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and parts of Tamil Naidu.
Source: deccanchronicle.com