Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, employing a significant portion of the country’s workforce and contributing significantly to the GDP. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the agricultural sector in India, disrupting supply chains, affecting market prices, and posing significant challenges to farmers. However, the pandemic has also brought new opportunities for the sector to transform and adapt to the changing landscape. This research paper will examine the transformation of Indian agriculture during and post-COVID-19. First, technology implementation in Indian agriculture will be discussed, examining its ability to support growth and cope with adverse situations. Second, the farmer’s protest (2020-2021) and its impact on the development of Indian agriculture will be explored. Finally, it will examine the effects of COVID-19 on food security and dietary diversity in India.

Brief Summary of Sources

Many writers note that The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major transformations in Indian agriculture. For instance, it has improved the implementation of technology in Indian agriculture. According to Kumar, the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst for innovation in the agri-tech sector in India. The author concludes that agri-tech companies have been able to create need-fulfilling tech products and services, resulting in evolutionary opportunities for suddenly open-to-tech Indian farmers since agri-networking platforms have increased by 30%(Para 2). Secondly, the authors argue that the 2020-2021 Indian farmers’ protests have also contributed immensely to the transformation of Indian agriculture. According to Lerche, the movement has a broad support base and aims to combat the threat that the farm laws and oppressive Hindu fundamentalist government pose to all social groups. The article concluded that the struggle for farm laws could disrupt the government’s political oppression beyond the agricultural sector but may not persist beyond the movement due to exploitation and oppression among its constituents. The fact that the protests could positively impact by offering reduced government pressure indicates that this is a major transformation for the Indian farmers (Lerche 12). Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic had some major impacts on food security and dietary diversity in India. A study by Gupta et al. shows a decline in household food expenditures and women’s dietary diversity, especially for non-staples like meats, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. Despite special provisions, such as PDS and direct benefit transfers, reaching a significant proportion of households, there were still restrictions on food access and availability(Gupta et al. 160). These sources collectively show that the pandemic has brought positive and negative transformations to Indian agriculture.

Body

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the Indian agriculture sector by implementing technology. The pandemic acted as a catalyst, pushing the agri-tech sector to innovate and quickly solve the uncertainties created by the lockdowns. The restriction of transportation led to severe supply chain disruption, making it difficult for farmers to work as usual due to a lack of essential inputs. As a result, farmers and businesses in the agricultural sector adopted digital agri-products and business-farmer digital networks to drive transactions(Kumar para 2). The adoption of online portals for discussing crop and cattle issues increased by 30% due to restricted access to on-ground advisory services. The sudden strict lockdown brought untold uncertainty, and it took some time for young companies to absorb the implications and rise to the challenge of the new normal. These companies had to find ways to communicate virtually with the users, informing and educating rural farmers about the advancements and usage of technological innovations and their services. The pandemic hastened the adoption of technologies like digitization, supply chain innovations, data analytics, and IoT, validating ideas like business-farmer networks, input e-commerce platforms, and agri-marketplaces, boosting investors’ confidence. Despite the positive impact of technology implementation in the agricultural sector, different areas within the agricultural sector have experienced different impacts. The pandemic had a major impact on food security and dietary diversity in India. There was a decline in household food expenditures and women’s dietary diversity, especially for non-staples like meats, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. Despite special provisions such as PDS and direct benefit transfers, reaching a significant proportion of households, there were still restrictions on food access and availability.

The 2020-2021 protests in India were led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and focused on three farm