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

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

Change log
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>

Publication Date
2022
Online Publication Date
2022-04-08
Acceptance Date
2022-04-04
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic, Punjab agriculture, agricultural inputs and output, labour shortages, agricultural wages
Journal Title
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Journal ISSN
2071-1050
2071-1050
Volume Title
14
Publisher
MDPI AG
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/P027970/1)