Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the union government to establish a Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute in the state."The state will provide all kinds of assistance required for the project including land, water etc.," Patnaik told union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in a letter which was released to the media on Sunday.He said the central institute in Biswanath Chariali in Assam, which is meant for the eastern states, was unable to meet the need of the state to the desired extent.
"The state has been laying emphasis on farm mechanisation with an objective of improving efficiency in agriculture operations for cost reduction, increased productivity and an increase in farmers' income," said Patnaik.Maintaining that the state government has enhanced subsidy in its State Agriculture Policy, 2013 to ensure widespread use of farm machinery, he said the state was also providing subsidy of around Rs.250 crore annually for this purpose.He said the state has 10 agro-climatic zones and hence there was a need to ensure quick tests of machinery to see what was suitable and also for providing training on operation, repair and maintenance.