COVID-19 Outbreak and Declining Growth in Hill Farming in Sikkim, India

Abstract

This paper represents the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture and farming of Sirisey localised in south district of Sikkim. The wide range of cultivated plants serves as major sources of income and employment to the people of the village. In this survey work the period of survey was divided into two slots, before the lockdown and the lockdown as well as unlock phases. A large number of marginal farmers were severely affected during the lockdown and even in the unlock phases due to the lack of electronic communication systems, resulting in failure to get the support on time and restrictions on the vehicular movements, that hampered the transport of agriculture commodities from its place of production to the ultimate consumer. Only a few farmers faced
marginal increase in profit. Although to overcome this situation NGO’s, Sikkim Government and Government of India has taken several policies like by providing money, subsidy, crop seeds, bee hives, supplying of live stocks for farming, PM-KISAN scheme, farmer’s helpline etc. But the small and medium size farming sectors, that are totally dependent on raw materials from the agriculture and allied sector, also need special attention so that the rural economy can stay afloat. Hope in near future farmers would be benefited via this above schemes.