K'taka: FM inaugurates groundnut-processing facility run by women

In Karnataka, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday inaugurated a groundnut-processing facility in Yadgir district, which is entirely operated by women and supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The district produces around 22,500 metric tonne of groundnuts annually and has significant potential for value addition, she said. "We have now established a unit that can roast groundnuts, extract oil, and manufacture products such as peanut butter," the union minister said.She further suggested that the successful operation of the NABARD-supported unit could stimulate private investment in the district. Assuring continued support, Sitharaman acknowledged that substantial work remained to be done in areas such as education and healthcare within Yadgir. She highlighted the district’s low female literacy rate, its last-place ranking in the state’s Human Development Index, high levels of multidimensional poverty, and among the lowest per-capita incomes as pressing concerns.

The Union Minister also inaugurated the Farmers’ Training and Common Facility Centre at Badepalli village in Yadgir. The centre, funded under the MPLAD Scheme in collaboration with NABARD, is designed to serve as a hub for processing groundnuts into various high-demand value-added products. The anchor Farmer Producer Company, Badepalli Women Farmers Producer Company Ltd., will manage the unit, integrating processing, training, and marketing. This centre aims to modernise post-harvest infrastructure, implement quality control, improve direct farm-to-market linkages, empower farmers, reduce post-harvest losses, and create branded products for both domestic and global markets.