Impact of COVID-19 on Agriculture

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a disaster due to its negative effects on world economies. It created many threats to the sustainability of agriculture sector, which is sensitive of all, as it poses threat on food supply security needs. In order to adapt to the pandemic, the risks, vulnerability, resilience and systemic shifts of agricultural systems need to be understood better. The agricultural markets were adversely affected at national as well as global levels, including major sectors, viz. horticulture, poultry and dairy. A decline of 2.7, 5.7, 19.6, 6.6 and 13.6% were observed during the year 2020–2021 compared to the previous year in the production of agriculture, horticulture, poultry, dairy sectors and fisheries respectively in India. Himachal Pradesh, a north-western Himalayan state faced an annual decline of 15% in agricultural production and 18% in horticultural production. The overall agricultural marketing impact score assigned by NABARD during 2020–21 of India also declined by 3.37. The main purpose of this article is to have thorough understanding of the pandemic on agriculture and allied sectors.