Anantapur, Oct 22 (IANS): A month after the second Kisan Rail chugged off from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, the third one set off to New Delhi on Wednesday, which also extended the Ministry of Food Processing Industries 50 per cent transportation tariff concession scheme on notified fruits and vegetables.

Kisan Rail is the brainchild of the Central Government aimed at boosting the income of farmers by providing a hassle-free transportation service to market the agriculture sector.

"To further encourage farmers to utilise this railway facility, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has recently announced extending 50 per cent tariff concession on the transportation of notified fruits and vegetables through Kisan Rail trains, under 'Operation Greens - TOP to total'," said a South Central Railway (SCR) zone official.

Encouraging Anantapur district farmers, the railway zone opened parcel loading at Mulakalacheruvu railway station, from where two parcel vans were loaded with tomatoes for the first time to Nagpur.

Likewise, the district farmers have loaded 201 tonnes of fruits and vegetables in 10 parcel vans from Anantapur station. Of the 12 parcel vans, eight were destined to Adarsh Nagar in New Delhi and two to Nagpur.

Nagpur is 882 km north of Anantapur while New Delhi is roughly 2,000 km north of the Rayalaseema town.

Musk melons, lemons, oranges and sweet limes were loaded in the vans.

Railway officials adviced farmers to take advantage of 'Operation Greens - TOP to total' to transport and market their wares.

These trains are enabling farmers to ship their produce to places where there are markets to buy their wares.