Journal of Infectious Diseases & Preventive Medicine
Open Access

Impact of COVID-19 on Farmers in Rural India

Pankaj Singh^{* *}Correspondence: Pankaj Singh, Department of Medical Science, Sacred Heart Degree College, Sitapur, India, Email:

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Editorial Note

In early 2020 COVID-19 arrived in India which has halted all the activities and affected all walks of life. In March 2020 the Indian government imposed the national wide lockdown to tackle the spreading wave of the pandemic in the country. Due to halted transportation, restriction on movement of people the farmers could not reach mandis, thus disrupting the supply chain. This was also the time when the farm harvest reach mandis for assured procurement operation by designated government agencies. Moreover any sever disruptions to the supply of perishable fruits and vegetables, dairy products etc. The migration of workers to their native places has also triggered panic buttons; as they are crucial for both harvesting operation and post harvest handling of produce in storage and marketing centers. Union Home Minister’s notification to exclude movement of farmers, farm labourers, and harvesting and sowing related machines from the preview of lockdown was not sufficient. Because the implementation bodies were not aware of the notifications and the situation was seen never before. During this period of lockdown essential items such as vegetables, fruits etc. available to the comers both in urban and rural areas were the most critical challenge for the government machinery. And the government failed to maintenance and smooth functioning of supply chain with adequate safety measures for the people involved in this essential service.

It is a natural thing that poor section of the society and down trodden are always effected badly in any disaster or pandemic situation. As India is having approximately 85% household being small and marginal farmers and major part of them as landless farm laborers; therefore welfare measures to contain any damage from COVID-19 were definitely going to help them. The focus of the government was to protect the lives of every citizen; the government had announced relief measures to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown on vulnerable section of society, including farmers and more over duration of interest subvention scheme has been extended. The government also announced that over 80 caror poor ration card holders, will each get 5 kg of Wheat or rice and one Kg of preferred pulses free of cost every month till the October 2020.

The precedented challenges due to COVID-19 on Indian large population and economy's dependence on the informal labour make lockdown and other social distancing measures hugely disruptive. The state and central governments tried to respond to the challenges aggressively, but this response was not sufficient to combat the loss as it was just the beginning. India must have been prepared to scale it up as events were unfold, easing the economic impacts through even greater public programs support and policies that could help the market functioning.

Only a tentative and rough assessment can be made about the impact of COVID 19 and the lockdown done for its prevention on the agriculture economy, as the pandemic is yet to be over. On- ly a robust vaccination drive can prevent the third wave of the COVID- 19 in the country.