The well-known IT Company HCL Technologies announced recently that it will donate quality seeds during Kharif sowing to make sure livelihood of farmers does not get severely affected by the second wave of Covid. The company will distribute seeds to 20,000 farmers in Lucknow and Hardoi districts of Uttar Pradesh.
In addition, the company will also ensure that fertilizers and pesticides are made available to farmers timely and sufficiently through the Hardoi Kisan Farmers Producers Organization.
Several farmers have failed to sell their winter crops, as they could reach the mandis due to insufficient transportation during the lockdown. In the wake of this, the company is gearing up collection centers to make sure the farmers’ produce reaches the market.
The company has taken this initiative under the flagship program of HCL Foundation – HCL Samuday. HCL Foundation is the philanthropic wing of HCL Technologies.
The Director of HCL Samuday, Alok Varma, informed that the company is working with the community in 164 Gram Panchayats in Lucknow and Hardo districts since 2015. They work in various areas, including health and agriculture.
Varma said, “Definitely, this time, the pandemic has been much more severe in terms of impact. Last year, the spread of the disease in rural areas was not so much and people were interacting and doing livelihood works. The situation, however, this time is different in rural areas. In times of lockdown, getting access to quality agri-inputs, especially seeds, becomes problematic.”
Why this initiative?
Uttar Pradesh is under a statewide curfew due to Covid and it is not likely that the lockdown will be lifted completely in the coming days too. Farmers are preparing to sow for the Kharif season in June and July. To make sure that farmers’ livelihood does not get hit by the lockdown, HCL has come up with a plan to donate quality seeds to farmers.
The company harbors a database of farmers of Lucknow and Hardoi districts. Major Kharif crops of these areas are vegetables, maize, and paddy. Accordingly, the company will provide seeds.
The company’s other aid
HCL had also helped farmers of Lucknow and Hardoi districts in receiving market access for their produce during the harvest season, as the second Covid wave had arrived in the middle of the harvest season. Mandis became deserted. Traders did not come to buy produce in mandis. Farmers did not have transport. Those with perishable commodities like fruits and vegetables were hard hit.
HCL Foundation had come to their rescue by helping around 40,000 farmers by providing transport facilities and expanding collection centers from 6 to 21 in these two districts.
Covid help by HCL
Apart from helping the agricultural community, HCL contributed to curbing the spread of Coronavirus infection by expanding telemedicine centers from 3 to 13 and mobile clinics from 5 to 11. They also offered Covid vaccine awareness programs and Covid-19 care kits.
