PATNA: Experts shared their views on the impact of Covid-19 on agriculture supply chain and way forward at a webinar organised by the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) and International Growth Center (IGC) on ‘Navigating Impact Of Covid-19 On The Agriculture Supply Chain in India’, on Monday.
Delivering the keynote address, ADRI’s member secretary Shaibal Gupta said early evidences at the farm gate level indicate that post lockdown, quantity arrivals in agriculture mandis fell by 42%. “The lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic led to massive disruptions in agri-food supply chains. The unplanned and sudden policy shocks affected all segments of food supply chains right from production, procurement and processing, to transport, logistics and final demand. Even restrictions and disruption on vehicle movement both across state borders and within the cities hit the agri sectror badly,” he said.
N. Saravana Kumar, secretary, department of agriculture said that maize prices crashed down by 50% during the pandemic. “The starch industry was also hit due to which demand for maize dipped. Marginal farmers needed cash and hence distress sale was observed. Moreover, there was no procurement mechanism for maize,” the official said.
Delivering the keynote address, ADRI’s member secretary Shaibal Gupta said early evidences at the farm gate level indicate that post lockdown, quantity arrivals in agriculture mandis fell by 42%. “The lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic led to massive disruptions in agri-food supply chains. The unplanned and sudden policy shocks affected all segments of food supply chains right from production, procurement and processing, to transport, logistics and final demand. Even restrictions and disruption on vehicle movement both across state borders and within the cities hit the agri sectror badly,” he said.
N. Saravana Kumar, secretary, department of agriculture said that maize prices crashed down by 50% during the pandemic. “The starch industry was also hit due to which demand for maize dipped. Marginal farmers needed cash and hence distress sale was observed. Moreover, there was no procurement mechanism for maize,” the official said.
