Koppal, 15 Oct

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday urged farmers to make full use of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) to make agriculture profitable and sustainable.

Speaking after inaugurating the Farmers’ Training and Common Facility Centre in Koppal district, Sitharaman said the Centre had disbursed over Rs 3,700 crore to states since 2020, with loans worth Rs 11,000 crore sanctioned to farmers, creating over one lakh agri-entrepreneurs. “A Rs 24,000 crore allocation has been made for PMDDKY in 2025–26. Koppal will be among the key beneficiaries,” she said.

The minister highlighted that 43 lakh farmers in the state benefit from the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi and added that new GST reforms have reduced taxes on farm equipment, bio-pesticides, and solar-powered machinery. “We want farmers to prosper,” she said.

The NABARD-backed facility, established with state support and her MPLAD funds, will process and store 840 tonnes of mango and 600 tonnes of papaya, with products certified by FSSAI. Sitharaman called it “a good step towards improving the lives of ‘annadata’ in Koppal,” reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ vision.

Later in Hampi, Sitharaman offered prayers at the Virupaksha temple and urged efforts to restore the UNESCO World Heritage monuments. “Krishna Deva Raya was a wonderful king who knew his people. We must retain this place in all its glory,” she said.