AFDB publishes report on impact of locusts and COVID-19 on agriculture in Sindh

 The Asian Development Bank released its report entitled "Impact of COVID-19 and Locust Swarms on Farm Households in Sindh, Pakistan: Data Analysis from a Cross-Sectional Survey", assessing the Sindh economy after these two catastrophic challenges .

The report surveyed 400 northern farmers in Sindh to measure the effect of the locust attack and also measured the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the province's economy. While the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and locust swarms will become more apparent in the coming months, according to the report, Covid-19 restrictions on the food supply chain and the impact of the locust swarms in food security have already been done. it has been evident.

Locust swarms first appeared in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces and later in Sindh and southern Punjab. The aggravated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and locust swarms raise serious concerns about agricultural production and food security in Sindh province.

Agriculture is central to Pakistan's economy, contributing over 19.0 percent of GDP and employing around 39 percent of the workforce. Agriculture is the backbone of the rural population, which constitutes 63 percent of the country's total population and also supplies a large part of Pakistan's exports.

The provisional growth of Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2019-2020 is estimated at -0.4 percent, with agriculture being the only sector showing positive growth, at 2.7 percent, according to Office figures. of Pakistan Statistics (PBS) 2020.

"The lockdown significantly disrupted food supply chains in all major agricultural products, including wheat, vegetables, fruits and milk, with the majority of respondents reporting that they were unable to market their products," the report said, He added: "Serious locust invasions were observed in Sindh, with 73.7 percent of respondents having seen locust swarms in their area."

Statistics emerging from the population surveyed for the report showed that 37.3 percent of those surveyed lost their salary, 39.5 percent of people said their family members returned from urban areas, 45.4 percent One percent of the surveyed population reported reducing their non-food expenses, while more than half, 58.3 percent, said they also reduced their food consumption.

For individual agricultural products, the report found that the two main reasons for the decline in agriculture and the consequent economic impacts were the unavailability of traders and the inability of farmers to visit market areas and cities. Among the less pronounced but still contributing factors, farmers kept their products for self-consumption and refused to sell because "the market price was too low."

Most of the respondents faced challenges related to agricultural activities, while Lower Sindh farmers were more likely to experience interruptions in the purchase of fertilizers, pesticides, diesel fuel and machinery. The higher prices of agricultural inputs, especially seeds, were the most cited. Three-quarters of the respondents reported greater financial difficulties due to these challenges.

The report said that nearly all Upper Sindh respondents reported locust swarms, with more than a third of Lower Sindh respondents saying they had also been affected. Respondents from Upper and Lower Sindh reported an almost universal lack of government response as a source of information on swarms or relief in the form of surveys and fumigation.

Market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related policy measures are temporary, according to the ADB report. The government should monitor and ensure the functioning of market activities and the availability of agricultural inputs, as requested by farmers. Locust swarms may require action both to mitigate damage already done and to invest in long-term means to help farmers and communities prepare for future locust swarms.