Lockdown Disrupts Agri Supply Chains: Dawn

Wheat is ready for harvest in Pakistan, but the areas are in lockdown since March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many farmers anticipate governments to extend lockdowns. At the same time, they anticipate price pressure for the crops. Sharecroppers face particular challenges. “Whilst a grower has multiple income generation options, a sharecropper depends on one crop or livestock to keep his economy going,” writes Mohammad Hussain Khan for Dawn. “So much so that people in such marginalised communities have to go to other areas for harvest and cultivation to make both ends meet. But in the absence of private transport, they have to stay at home.” He adds that curbs on transportation will disrupt supply chains and communities that depend on agriculture. Farmers are torn between government procurement plans and sales on the open market, and the uncertainty about harvests, delivery of supplies like seeds and pesticides, transportation and more could threaten to food security for Pakistan. – YaleGlobal