The Hindu

With harvesting of wheat crop about to commence in the next few days in the key grain growing States of Punjab and Haryana, farmers are a worried lot fearing loss due to delay in harvesting and procurement of amid the ongoing lockdown, due to coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The Print

Flight of labourers to their homes following the 21-day nationwide lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on loading and unloading of agricultural produce at storage facilities in West Bengal, raising concerns over a possible crisis in the supply chain in near future.

Dailyo

The rains in the first three weeks of March followed by the nationwide crackdown on the Covid-19 could delay the harvest of wheat in North Indian states. The harvest season for Rabi crops—largely wheat, sown between October and early December — starts in the first week of April. It is expected that due to inclement weather the delay could be for at least a fortnight. But their fear is; because of Covid-19, farmers in most parts of these states may not find ample labour.

The Hindu BusinessLine

With the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of Covid-19, mandis where farmers sell their harvest have also been closed. Across the country, the harvest of several crops including wheat, mustard, chana and coriander has started and farmers are sitting on truckloads of grains and pulses.

In the kharif season, many farmers lost their soyabean and other crops due to excessive rains and were waiting for this rabi harvest to pay back their loans. But now they are now facing a new problem: closed mandis and crashing prices. While, initially, most States announced that mandis will open from April 1, it now appears as if they will be closed till April 14 due to the nationwide lock-down. There is now the risk ...

The Print

As India goes into a 21-day lockdown, the Narendra Modi government has sought to reassure an anxious public that the country has multiple times the required reserve of food grains to tide over the crisis.  There have also been urgent calls for both central and state governments to ensure that the public distribution system — PDS — is fully supported to safeguard food security, especially for the millions of poor families who will be disproportionately affected by the massive closures. A few states have responded quickly, announcing a range of measures including food rations and mid-day meals to provide basic support to those who will struggle daily to survive. Their implementation will be absolutely critical.

Times Of India

The 21-day nationwide lockdown coincides with peak harvest season of Rabi (winter sown) crops in many parts of the country, triggering a demand for some regulated exemptions for farmers and farm labourers so that they don’t lose their produce. The crops of wheat, gram, mustard and lentils are ready for harvest in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other parts in central India.