Pegging the cumulative losses suffered by Kerala’s agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in March and April owing to the onset of COVID-19 at ₹3,300 crore, the State Planning Board has recommended measures for their revival.
Cash crops have been deleteriously impacted by the global trade shutdown, while fall in demand and prices, non-availability of labour and disruption of supply chains have marred food crops. The sector is estimated to have lost ₹1,570.75 crore in crop husbandry and another ₹200.3 crore in wages in this period.
It has proposed bringing under paddy cultivation an additional 25,000 hectares in the next two years to reduce Kerala’s dependence on other States for rice.
Vegetable production, estimated to be 12.12 lakh tonnes a year, can be doubled by developing the 14 special agriculture zones (SAZ) already identified. The recommendations also include bringing in a law to streamline the State’s farm marketing system and creation of ‘land armies’ — groups of workers who would travel from village to village and undertake operations during crises. It has asked the State government to demand a ban on rubber imports for a year or at least till the stock available in the market is exhausted.
“Anticipated crop losses are relatively high because April-May is usually the peak cropping period in the region,” says the report.
With some 1,15,668 fisher families and 23,881 families in the fisheries-allied sectors affected by the lockdown, the sector is estimated to be poorer by ₹1,371 crore. Exports have dwindled to just 1% and the pandemic-induced loss in the quantity of seafood exported for two months is about 16,000 tonnes, with an estimated turnover loss of ₹600 crore.
The board has recommended that the Centre be urged for a economic package for the sector with elements such as waiver of interest for loans, and deferred payment of loans. With trawling ban coming in force from June, the State should focus on alternative livelihoods for the fishers.
A well laid-out plan to reform the fish supply chain should begin immediately and practices such as inland aquaculture should be promoted with the help of local bodies and Kudumbashree.
The animal husbandry sector, also affected bybird flu, incurred losses are estimated to be about ₹181 crore.
