The Covid-19 Lockdown and Its Impact on the Agri-Food Supply Chain in India: Insights from Government Policy Perspective

Abstract

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented shock to the Indian economy. Agriculture being the backbone of the Indian economy has been severely affected by the shock waves of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. In this paper, we have assessed the potential impact of the shock on Indian agriculture considering their implications along the different stages of supply chain, namely, production, post-harvest handling & storage, processing & packaging, distribution and consumption. In addition, we have analyzed the policies announced by the government in mitigating the impact of the shock and revitalizing the Indian agriculture. Finally, we have put forward some policy recommendations for future consideration.