Repository logo
 

COVID-19 Pandemic-Induced Disruptions and Implications for National Food Security and Farm Incomes: Farm-Level Evidence from Indian Punjab

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Vatta, K 
Bhogal, S 
Green, AS 
Sharma, H 
Petrie, CA 

Abstract

jats:pBy using the data from a primary survey of 1100 farm households from Indian Punjab, the present study examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruptions on food security and farm incomes. The paddy-wheat-based production system showed resilience to the challenges of the COVID-19 situation. Farmers adapted effectively to the changed equilibrium and there was no decline in food production, land lease activity or cropping patterns. The disruptions in agricultural machinery services and input supplies led to a rise in the rent of machinery and input prices. Agricultural wages also jumped due to scarcity of agricultural labour. The study highlights no imminent threat to food supplies from Punjab and hence to national food security. It showed that farmers may need some financial support to counter the effect of rising costs of farming. There is a need to enhance the resilience of various input and output markets in agriculture in the future.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic, Punjab agriculture, agricultural inputs and output, labour shortages, agricultural wages

Journal Title

Sustainability (Switzerland)

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2071-1050
2071-1050

Volume Title

14

Publisher

MDPI AG
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/P027970/1)