July 2020, South Asia
Covid-19’s impact on India’s agricultural sector

The agricultural value chain in India has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 crisis and the resultant lockdown. Grant Thornton has laid out the challenges and offered recommendations.

Agriculture remains a central pillar of the Indian economy. The sector serves the food consumption needs of the whole country, while also placing among the top exporters of agricultural produce in the world. The sector has been facing its share of challenges in recent years, but few have been as severe as the domestic and international travel restrictions during Covid-19.

Grant Thornton breaks the challenges down into two distinct categories: Labour scarcity and exports. Northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana are among India’s agricultural powerhouses, although farming work in these states is mostly carried out by migrant labour from East India.