In an extension of its philanthropic endeavors, John Deere announced that it plans to work with the local government in Gujarat, India to help tribal farmers over the next five years.

The program could help some 50,000 farming families in the region; farmers will be given lessons on how to improve their farming skills and mechanize their farm operations so they can increase their crop yields. "The world is challenged to increase food production significantly in the next few decades," John Deere chief executive Samuel R. Allen said in a statement. "All around the world, John Deere is working to help customers be more productive."

John Deere plans to open small agricultural resource centers throughout Gujarat, and will make 500 of its tractors available for use by local farmers; moreover, farmers who use the tractors and other farm equipment offerings will only be charged for operating and maintenance costs, rather than for the actual tractor or implements.

This is the first such public-private partnership of its kind in India's agricultural sector, Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, affirmed: "This is a shining example of a program that will help empower approximately 500 participants at the inaugural ceremony, organized jointly by the Gujarat Tribal Development Department and John Deere."