Farmers lay off workers, dig into savings to survive Covid-19 effects, new study reveals
Farm workers spray crops. Due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, about 90 per cent of farmers have reported that they had reduced the number of workers on their farms and as their replacement, they engage more family members for longer hours.
What you need to know:
- Sharing on how the farmers are coping and how the private and public sector can minimise their vulnerability will go a long way in improving not only the individual livelihoods but also the country’s coping mechanism.
- About 90 per cent of farmers reported that they had reduced the number of workers on the farm and as their replacement, they engage more family members for longer hours.
- The support farmers need is as varied as their enterprises and commodities that they are dealing with.
- On transport, farmers should strive to have contract marketing in which case the buyer of the products provide transport. .
Resilience of food systems has become a major concern for many countries, thanks to the continued presence of Covid-19 and its attendant restrictions.
Data released from an ongoing study on the impact of Covid-19 on farmers in Kenya indicates between June and July, the financial situation of 52 per cent of the sampled farmers had slightly worsened, 33 per cent much worse, 12 per cent stayed the same and improved slightly for 3 per cent.
Asked how they felt about the scourge, 52 per cent said they were vulnerable, 36 per cent very vulnerable while 12 per cent said they were coping.
Sharing on how the farmers are coping and how the private and public sector can minimise their vulnerability will go a long way in improving not only the individual livelihoods but also the country’s coping mechanism.
How farmers are coping with the economic slowdown
Asked to explain what they have done to cope with the disease situation financially, 62 per cent said that they were using their savings, 43 per cent had borrowed money, 18 per cent had reduced investments, 18 per cent had reduced loan repayments, 15 per cent had sold or pawned an asset, 11 per cent said they had found new or additional work, 12 per cent had stopped loan repayments while 6 per cent had done nothing about the situation.
How farmers are coping with labour issues
About 90 per cent of farmers reported that they had reduced the number of workers on the farm and as their replacement, they engage more family members for longer hours.
Market accessibility
In August, over 60 per cent of the study group said they had sold less produce because of the pandemic.
More than one third of the group chose to not sell, thus, consumed the produce at home while greater than two thirds wished to sell more, but were unable to do so.
How farmers’ coping mechanisms can be enhanced
The support farmers need is as varied as their enterprises and commodities that they are dealing with.
However, the report by the research team (60 Decibels, Inc. a tech-enabled impact measurement company, working in over 40 countries) indicated that the common requirements fronted by the farmers themselves include market information (30 per cent), transportation (25 per cent) and access to new buyers (24 per cent).
Some farmers might also require cash in addition to leniency of credit terms.
There is also need for grants to help small-scale farmers as they struggle to resume normalcy.
Other measures include credit tolerance as they indicated in terms of loan payment deferment or prolonging the repayment period, or even reducing the interest rates.
On transport, farmers should strive to have contract marketing in which case the buyer of the products provide transport. .
Tax leniency, provision of subsidised inputs like fertiliser, seeds and animal vaccines by county governments can also help farmers.
