Walmart To Grant Rs 4 Crore To ICRISAT To Assist Farmers Across Six States

Walmart News: The grant will be presented to ICRISAT and its partner organisations for supporting their local communities as they respond to Covid-19.

New Delhi: One of the biggest companies in the world, Walmart Foundation, has announced a grant of Rs 4 crore to ICRISAT to assist the farmers across six states. According to a report by Economic Times, the funds will be used to help farmers in sustaining their operations post Covid-19 pandemic.

The release by the company said, “Farm Operations in India have been beset by challenges such as the timely availability of inputs and decline in consumer demand with income implications for farmers. Ahead of the post-harvest period in India, the grant will help farmers mitigate disruptions in post-production supply chain while gaining access to market. It will also help fulfil their financial requirements to procure key inputs like seeds and key farm equipment by strengthening the operations and reach of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).”

According to the release by the company, the grant will be presented to ICRISAT and its ‘partner organisations’ for ‘supporting their local communities as they respond to Covid-19’.

According to the report, ICRISAT will partner with the following eight organisations to build better support and resilience for the farmers in India.

1. Tanager
2. Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADHAN)
3. TrickleUp
4. International Fertilizer Development Center
5. Grameen Foundation India
6. Digital Green India
7. TechnoServe
8. Heifer

Quoting the President of Walmart, Kathleen McLaughlin, the report said that the support of the organisation has already reached over 1.4 lakh farmers. 80,000 out of these are women. The company is now focussing on increasing digital access and logistical support.

The six states which have been chosen for the help are Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.