Union Finance Minister Inaugurates Farmers’ Training cum Common Facility Centre at Koppal

Date & Place: October 16, 2025; Methagal, Koppal District, Karnataka

Key Highlights:

• Inauguration & Purpose:
  • Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated a Farmers’ Training cum Common Facility Centre for Agro-Processing.
  • Aim: Empower farmers and agro-entrepreneurs by providing training, processing, and storage facilities.
• Central Schemes for Farmers:
  • Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME): Supports small-scale food processors.
  • Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana: Enhances farmer incomes through crop-focused support.
  • PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM-KISAN): Provides ₹6,000/year in three installments to 43 lakh farmers in Karnataka via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Budget & Funding:
  • ₹24,000 crore allocation for PM FME in 2025-26.
  • Since 2020, ₹3,700 crore distributed to states for farmer loans and support, generating over 1 lakh agriculture entrepreneurs.
  • The Koppal centre was partly funded through MPLAD funds and NABARD support.
• GST Reforms for Agriculture:
  • Reduction of taxes on farm equipment, tractors, solar power, and machinery to 5%.
  • GST cut on bio-pesticides, micronutrients, and bio-fertilisers to reduce input costs.
• Centre’s Facility Capacity & Certification:
  • Facility can process 840 tonnes of mangoes and 600 tonnes of papaya.
  • All products will be certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Significance:
  • Boosts agripreneurship, value addition, and storage infrastructure for farmers.
  • Promotes profitability, skill development, and formalization of micro food processing units in Karnataka.