Covid 19 – A rollercoaster for Agriculture

The whole world is dealing with the vigorous impact of covid 19.Thecorona virus has a huge impact in all the sectors.It shattered the whole world. It also made a great impact on Agricultural sector.

 

The agricultural chain in India has been adversely affected by the Covid 19 crisis and the lockdown.

Farmers are the backbone of our nation. Agriculture remains a central pillar of our economy. It provides food need of our nation and also export agricultural products all over the world. It faced severe problem due to the restrictions on domestic and international travel. 

 

At the beginning of lockdown, it was the peak of Rabi seasonseason in India and crops like wheat, paddy, gram, lentil, mustard, etc. we’re at harvestable stage. It’s also the time when the farm harvests reach the market yards. So it became the most critical challenge for Government to ensure proper supply of agricultural products.

 

When the nationwide lockdown was announced, a mass exodus of migrant labour were back to their hometown. The harvesting process was totally off balance, resulting in major issues. The next season sowing process also interrupted due to this.

 

This situation can be dealt by using machinery for sowing process and harvesting which includes less man power. This helps to overcome the lack of labourers.

 

The sale of dairy products, fish, poultry, etc. has also been hit during the lockdown period as the uptake by the organized industry has been affected due to shortage of labourers and transport issues.

The impact on agricultural sector resulted in food shortage and increased prices of food commodities. It affected the consumption pattern. To strengthen the sector we can follow some measures. The strategies are

1. Risk management
2. Stakeholder partnerships
3. Financial reforms
4. Buffer stocks
5. Investment
6. Collective farming
7. Family farming
8. Secondary agriculture
9. Social safety net
10. Staggered procurement and pricing

People living on agriculture and allied activities, mostly those losing their income from informal employment at this lockdown period, have to be provided with alternative avenues (cash transfer) till the economy bounces back. To sustain the demand for agricultural commodities, investment in key logistics must be enhanced.