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This is a biggest
shut-down globally due to Covid-19. Every nook and Corner is Lockdown, business
shutdown except the essentials are working as hospital for treatment of the
patient, daily essentials like food and milk administration and government organization which is dealing with
public management to save their lives
from Covid 19 infection. In these circumstances we all have realized that agriculture
sector is most important for our survival rest is optional or secondary. For
survival of the other creature like animals and birds along with human which
was also challenge.
In this lockdown all living beings affected
due to non availability of the food. It’s biggest challenge to feed the animals
and birds. In same way kids were also locked down in their home with parents
whereas again milk-man take the pain of life and reaching to the door step to
protect health of kids.
During this
period people realize that only food and medicine is primary requirement for
survival, even due to high demands farmer and agriculture based business were
affected badly since crops were ready for
harvesting but supply chain were restricted in locked down phase. In
India agriculture is state subject and its unorganized sectors thus lack of coordination
among states and inefficiency in policy implementation at government level
imposed huge losses special in perishable commodities like horticulture,
poultry, fishery and dairy sector.
After first
phase of lockdown food supply chain was managed by train and road transport
across country where food grains like wheat rice pulses supply was managed
through PDS system but and perishable vegetable items was basic need.
New options
created due to pandemic:
·
Farmer should be very much focus on
post pandemic market dynamics.
·
Need to connect with e-com and
latest technology
·
Think about local market due to any
crisis they can generate some funds locally for the survival
·
Connect with remote market, to get competitive
price.
·
Reduce the interference of the middle
man i.e as tomato cost in village area was Rs 2 whereas in metro and other city
same product cost was above 60 to Rs 70 which reduce to consumption and affect
the farmer’s crop and profit whereas middle man without much effort they made
huge profit.
·
Need to arrange local transport
facility so that reduce dependency on external resources.
·
Diversify the farming depend on
storage and life span of crops & market i.e. flower, fruits, wheat etc.
·
Connection with government
authority to get the approval and other formalities so that administration
supports the farmer otherwise delay and ignorance of authority will create the
losses to the farmer.
Challenges after pandemic:
As
pandemic is still going on but due to economic losses government started to
review the condition started to work on damage control by making big efforts.
For the farmers biggest challenge is cash flow and fulfills the liabilities and
returns the bank and other loans.
As
in all business Cash is king. So, agro based business also require cash to
restart the work for the future.
·
So how farmers can inject the Cash
and how much depending upon the market demand, due to pandemic some of crops
will be in high demand whereas some will be medium and low, so farmer need to
identify the need based crops.
·
Due to pandemic a lot of global demand
and import-export policy change so need to cope up with new regulation and law.
·
To control and improve the credit
rating with banks need to Liaoning with banks and government.
·
Farmer need to keep the cash for the
survival for the minimum 6 month to one year, so whereas possible go for short
term credit for the buying seed, fertilizer and equipment.
·
Last but not least produce only
what can be consumed or store for the long term.
This
is unexpected and unpredicted calamity which cannot be predicted, and cannot be
project for the damage. Only options remain with us to move on with current
scenario with maximum precaution reduce the damage control. Government requires
to support the farmer so that another big global challenge hunger can be
avoided. Farmers need to be very much alert to face any challenges in future.
