Some lessons from the Corona Crisis

Context: Even though the impact of COVID-19 has been seen in every sector, agriculture specifically has shown some resilience to it and thus provide lessons for tackling such contingencies in future.

Negative Impact of COVID-19 on Agriculture:

• Low Farm Income: The income of the famers has declined due to flowing reasons:

• • • Supply disruptions: Since the lockdown period which coincided with the peak rabi harvest and marketing season.
    • Erosion of demand: in hotels and restaurants has also affected prices.

• Slump in prices of Perishable Produce: Price fall of 10 to 50 per cent in various commodities at different stages of the Covid crisis – study by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

• • • Substantially lower returns in horticulture produce.
    • Orchid Farmers have recorded nil sales. – National Research Centre for Orchids, Gangtok.
    • Losses in banana sector to the tune of Rs 200 crore: National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirapalli.

Lessons from Resilient Agriculture: Agriculture has emerged as a bright spot in the otherwise bleak situation. Contributing factors are:

• Grit of the famers.
• Promptness shown by the Centre and states in addressing farm related issues:
• Centre was quick to lift the lockdown from agriculture and allied activities; doubled the rural sector spending.
• State governments ensured smooth procurement of food grains despite mandatory anti-virus precautions and paucity of workers.
• Expert and Timely Guidelines provided by agricultural research network: Farm scientists came to the rescue of the farmers by offering them expert counseling:
• Use of digital communication techniques:

• • • • For conveying specialized advisories (through Krishi Vigyan Kendras) relating to handling and procurement of farm produce; 
      • Offering tips through social media platforms.
    • Capacity Building: the ICAR is trying to build capacity to cope with similar out- breaks in crops and livestock sectors:
      • Planning to launch studies to under- stand the evolution of plant pathogens.
      • The vast wealth of genetic resources kept in the gene banks is proposed to be scanned to identify the sources of resistance for viruses.