Yadgir: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the district administration should provide all facilities to encourage farmers to boost groundnut production.
Speaking after inaugurating the Women-led Farmers' Training Centre and CFC for Agro-Processing unit (MPLADS project) at Baddepalli village in Yadgir district on Thursday, she said that Yadgir district produces 22,500 metric tonnes of groundnut annually.
Stating that the value-added products of Yadgir groundnut should reach not only people in Kalyan Karnataka, but also people across the country, she said that it should be ensured that every product produced in the groundnut processing unit is available on e-commerce and quick commerce platforms.
Lamenting that only 15% capacity has been utilised so far, even after six months since the groundnut processing unit was started, she said that the state government has given good co-operation and provided land for this unit, which is run by women.
Rs 1 crore for developing cashew saplings in nurseries: Minister Eshwar Khandre"Women are facing difficulty in purchasing the groundnut. There seems to be a problem of middlemen in purchasing directly from farmers. The co-operation of the local administration and people is also important apart from assistance from the state and central government, if a district like Yadgir has to move forward in development. There will be an abundant groundnut production to meet the requirement, even if 40 more such units are established in the district. Companies like ITC Limited are coming forward and making agreements in this regard," she explained.
'Yadgir faces challenges'
A distinctive feature of the project is that it is being managed by Baddepalli Women Farmers Producer Company Limited, an FPO comprising 727 women members, making it the first women-led agro-processing facility in the region.
The centre is expected to serve as a model for women-led rural enterprises by enabling women farmers to participate across the agricultural value chain-- from production and processing to branding and marketing, she said.
"Yadgir, one of Karnataka's youngest districts, continues to face developmental challenges, including low female literacy and multidimensional poverty. Initiatives such as this will help improve incomes, generate employment opportunities, and enhance the overall quality of life in the district," she said.
Processing of 480 MT
NABARD Chairman Shaji K V said that the Yadgir Training-cum-Processing Centre represents a scalable model for farmer-led value addition and women's entrepreneurship.
NABARD has been entrusted with facilitating a sustainable training and processing ecosystem across the Kalyana Karnataka region through the effective utilisation of MPLADS support.
The centre is equipped to process 480 metric tonnes of peanuts annually and manufacture a range of value-added products, including peanut butter and groundnut oil. Product quality and food safety standards will be supported through testing at the NABL-accredited laboratory of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Raichur, he said.
MLC B G Patil, MLA Sharanagouda Kandkur, Department of Financial Services secretary Sanjay Lohiya, Agriculture Department Secretary Captain Dr K Rajendra, NABARD Chairman Shaji Krishnan, Deputy Managing Director A K Sood, ITC Limited Chairman Sanjiv Puri, minister's private secretary Aniruddha Shravan, DC Rahul Pandve, ZP CEO Lavish Ordia and SP Prithvi Shankar were present.
People participate in the programme.