Some lessons from the corona crisis

The agriculture sector has displayed greater resilience against the Covid-19 onslaught compared to manufacturing, services and other major sectors of the economy

The common impression that agriculture has remained unaffected by Covid-19 pandemic is only partly true. While the output of crops and agriculture’s allied fields has generally been sustained or even bettered in some cases, the income of most farmers has shrunk. The reason chiefly is the price decline and supply disruptions during the lockdown period which coincided with the peak rabi harvest and marketing season. The erosion of demand from bulk consumers like hotels and restaurants has also affected the prices of farm goods.

Perishable produce, indeed, suffered the most from the slump in wholesale prices though the retail prices of