Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the Farmers Training and Common Facility Centre at Methagal village of Koppal in North Karnataka today. The facility built with the financial assistance under MPLADS was executed by NABARD. Addressing the gathering, the Finance Minister said that the training centre and common facility will help Farmers Producers Organisation and others in food processing, along with the introduction of modern farming techniques. She informed that the Centre has the capability to process 840 metric tonnes of Mango and 600 metric tonnes of papaya and prepare dry powder, juice and pulp.

The products are certified by FSSAI and hence will have easy market access in cities. The value addition of farm produce, she added, will benefit the farmers by improving their revenue. The Finance Minister assured the farmers that the Government is for their welfare. She said in the recent GST reforms, the taxes on tractors, tillers, agri machineries, bio pesticides, fertilisers and micro nutrients were reduced from 12 percent to five or zero percent. Speaking about the introduction of Dhan Dhanya Krishi yojana by the Prime Minister, she said that the programme will help farmers to procure quality seeds, advanced farming techniques, market access, water conservation, like per drop more crop and irrigation upgradation.