Do you think this Pandemic will affect the Agricultural sector in India? Analyse and explain How?
Answers
Answer:
yes, this Pandemic will affect the Agricultural sector in India
Explanation:
because if any farmer is affected with covid 19 so grains also may affected
The economic shock will likely be much more severe for India, for two reasons. First, pre-COVID-19, the economy was already slowing down, compounding existing problems of unemployment, low incomes, rural distress, malnutrition, and widespread inequality. Second, India’s large informal sector is particularly vulnerable. Out of the national total 465 million workers, around 91% (422 million) were informal workers in 2017-18. Lacking regular salaries or incomes, these agriculture, migrant, and other informal workers would be hardest-hit during the lockdown period. Here, I focus on the likely impacts on on agriculture, supply chains, food and nutrition security and livelihoods.
Agriculture and supply chains
COVID-19 is disrupting some activities in agriculture and supply chains. Preliminary reports show that the non-availability of migrant labor is interrupting some harvesting activities, particularly in northwest India where wheat and pulses are being harvested. There are disruptions in supply chains because of transportation problems and other issues. Prices have declined for wheat, vegetables, and other crops, yet consumers are often paying more. Media reports show that the closure of hotels, restaurants, sweet shops, and tea shops during the lockdown is already depressing milk sales. Meanwhile, poultry farmers have been badly hit due to misinformation, particularly on social media, that chicken are the carriers of COVID-19.
Here are some measures are required to keep the agricultural sector and supply chains working smoothly:
The government has correctly issued lockdown guidelines that exempt farm operations and supply chains. But implementation problems leading to labor shortages and falling prices should be rectified.
Keeping supply chains functioning well is crucial to food security. It should be noted that 2 to 3 million deaths in the Bengal famine of 1943 were due to food supply disruptions—not a lack of food availability.
Farm populations must be protected from the coronavirus to the extent possible by testing and practicing social distancing.
Farmers must have continued access to markets. This can be a mix of private markets and government procurement.
Small poultry and dairy farmers need more targeted help, as their pandemic-related input supply and market-accessproblems are urgent.
Farmers and agricultural workers should be included in the government’s assistance package and any social protection programs addressing the crisis.
As lockdown measures have increased, demand has risen for home delivery of groceries and E-commerce. This trend should be encouraged and promoted.
The government should promote trade by avoiding export bans and import restrictions.
Using social safety nets as a bridge between health shock and economic shock
The lockdown has choked off almost all economic activity. In urban areas, leading to the widespread loss of jobs and incomes for informal workers and the poor. Estimates by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy show that unemployment shot up from 8.4% in mid-March to 23% in the first week of April. In urban areas, unemployment soared to 30.9% as of April 5. The shutdown will cause untold misery for informal workers and the poor, who lead precarious lives facing hunger and malnutrition.
The best way to address this urgent need is to use social safety nets extensively to stabilize their lives with food and cash.
The Indian government has quickly responded to the crisis and announced a $22 billion relief package, which includes food and cash transfers. Several state governments have announced their own support packages.
The central government’s relief package, called Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (Prime Minister’s plan for well-being of the poor), is aimed at providing safety nets for those hit the hardest by the COVID-19 lockdown. However, it is inadequate compared to the enormous scale of the problem. Nobel Prize economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerji say that the government should have been much bolder with the package’s social transfer schemes. The $22 billion in spending is only 0.85% of India’s GDP. This is much lower than the packages passed by the United States, European and some Asian countries. India should think bigger, and be spending at least 4% to 5% of GDP.