New Delhi, Feb 23 (PTI) Walmart Foundation, a philanthropic unit of retail major Walmart, on Wednesday announced a grant of over Rs 4 crore for assisting farmers across six states in India to manage supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, as well as sustain their farming operations.

The grant will be presented to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partner organisations that are supporting their local communities as they respond to COVID-19, the Foundation said in a statement.

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"Farming communities across the world have been facing challenges with restricted access to farm inputs, markets and equipment, putting entire seasons at risk," said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of Walmart Foundation and executive vice-president and chief sustainability officer of Walmart Inc.

To grow these small-scale farming communities in India, McLaughlin said the Foundation is expanding its focus on digital access, business practices, logistical support and high-quality inputs, with its commitments already having reached over 1.4 lakhs farmers, including nearly 80,000 woman farmers.

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"Now, this grant will help supplement these ongoing efforts on the ground and help farmers return to profitability in coming seasons," McLaughlin added.

This grant from the Walmart Foundation will impact more than 24,000 farmers across Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, ICRISAT Director General Jacqueline Hughes said.

"We will use digital tools and technologies to overcome challenges and enhance the efficiency of agricultural value chains, ensure increased farmer participation and help them regain control over their incomes and livelihoods," he said.

ICRISAT will contribute towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic-related impacts on the farming communities and beyond.

ICRISAT will partner with eight other organisations, including Tanager, Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), TrickleUp, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Grameen Foundation India, Digital Green India, TechnoServe and Heifer International, to further scale up their efforts on the ground towards building support and resilience for India's farmers.

According to the Foundation, 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 the post-production supply chain while gaining access to the 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), it added. HRS hrs

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)