Indian wholesaler Bharti Wal-Mart has begun a pilot scheme to work directly with farmers in India’s Punjab region.
The programme means the company will assist the farmers during every stage of fruit and vegetable cultivation, as well as offer them training in post-harvest technology.
The farmers then sell their produce to the retailer directly, the Hindustan Times reported.
At present the company is working with 65 farmers in the region, and they are now providing 16 vegetables to the chain on a daily basis.
Bharti Wal-Mart claims it is trying to build a more efficient supply chain, as current methods of production are inefficient.
“It is not just about negotiating better prices with the suppliers, but also removing any inefficiency in the supply chain,” a company spokesperson said.
