ABSTRACT
Since COVID-19 pandemic affected all sectors of life; agriculture was equally affected during this crisis. The main impact of COVID-19 on agriculture has been in the form of changing demand and supply ratio, labor shortage, and impacts on rural economies. Agriculture is the main source of earning, particularly in low-income countries. The commodities are few and the impact of COVID-19 on such countries may be very high. The agriculture production of underdeveloped countries is very prone to COVID-19 due to their high level of dependency upon labor in farming systems. The most affected sectors in agriculture were dairy farming, fruit and vegetable farming, poultry farming, and fisheries because of their perishable nature. There had been fear of a food shortage, but it did not happen due to an undisrupted grains supply, and the calorie intake was partially affected due to the shortage of the above-mentioned perishable commodities. The limited activities in the local fruit and vegetable and grains market resulted in low 84income generations and ultimately reduced economic access to food items. The price fluctuations were more for vegetables and fruits than grains and other field crops. Small and medium enterprises were quite vulnerable to COVID-19 shocks due to their small cash reserves. The COVID-19 affected food availability through its impacts on production, transportation/supply disruption, and higher retail prices along with lesser purchasing capacity of consumers. Being a major food source, agricultural activities remained a major focus to ensure food supply on regular basis. Moreover, an undisrupted agro-input supply may be ensured for achieving food security goals through higher target yields. It was realized that agriculture activities should be retrieved through the provision of safety kits, incentives, and health insurance to farm workers, along with financial and marketing assistance to farm owners.
