Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural wholesale prices in India: A comparative analysis across the phases of the lockdown

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyse the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on wholesale prices of the agricultural commodities particularly fruits and vegetables in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. This study is based on the daily data collected from AGMARKNET of all major agricultural markets under the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). The difference in weighted wholesale prices has been analysed before and during COVID-19 and across various phases of the lockdown. The analysis of the difference in the weighted average wholesale prices across markets and commodities has shown a mixed response. The most hydrating perishable fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content have faced a significant decline in wholesale prices during the lockdown. On the contrary, other perishable fruits and vegetables have realized a gain in the average wholesale prices. The weighted average wholesale price has also declined over the phases of the lockdown. This study provides timely feedback for preparing all the stakeholders of the agricultural marketing chain to understand and formulate coping strategies to make the system resilient.