In the time of corona pandemic where storage, transport and labour problems, farmers must give emphasis on the production of what? Foodgrains or Vegetables?
In the time of Corona pandemic, farmers of India must give emphasis on vegetable production. Reasons for giving emphasis on vegetable production are as below:
Most of the vegetables are short duration crops and also requires a small patch of land which leads to a lower requirement of labour in comparison to foodgrain crops.
Vegetables are a perishable commodity so the problem of deterioration of quality is there. To avoid this farmers must focus on the selling of fresh vegetables as soon as harvesting is done. They can also use on farm storage facilities like Pusa Zero Energy Cool Chamber or other Indigenous methods to improve the life of produce.
Transportation is also an issue nowadays so farmers should focus on the local market which can give quick and higher monetary returns in comparison to food grain crops.
Vegetables are also known as protective food and they also help to improve immunity which is need of recent times. So the demand for vegetable is higher in compare to foodgrain crops.
While in the case of food grains harvesting is a tedious job and it requires more labour. It also requires minimal processing before consumption along with this demand for food grains is seasonal while vegetables are required on a daily bases. It also requires specific storage facilities.
For the living of human being vegetables and food grains both are required and both have the same importance but considering above given facts as farmers point of view in this time of Corona pandemic cultivation of vegetable crops is more beneficial in aspects on income in comparison of food grain crops.
In my opinion, cultivation of vegetables including microgreen sprouts would be a better option for cultivation during pandemic. Terrace farming, cultivation of native vegetablesin homesteads, vertical gardens are some options